The Emir of Kano, the Obi of Onitsha, and the Emir of Shonga want urgent and collective action to end violence against women and vulnerable groups in the country, declaring that cultural norms cannot justify such acts.

During their joint appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, the prominent monarchs said the traditional institution and state owe it a duty to protect this group of persons.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the UN Women, almost one in three Nigerian women has been assaulted.

Data from the United Nations Childrens’ Education Fund (UNICEF) suggests that there are about 24 million child brides in Nigeria, a crisis the traditional rulers said is being perpetuated under the guise of tradition.

‘Inviolable’ Rights

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, insisted that the rights of women and children are inviolable under the country’s law.

He berated those using culture as a stereotype to abuse the vulnerable.

“We need to first of all see that as a country we have citizens and human beings, and they have rights. Those rights are inviolable. You cannot violate them in the name of a culture. You cannot beat a woman because your culture says you can beat her,” Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank, said.

“She is a Nigerian citizen entitled to protection; it doesn’t matter what you think because these are the values that we live by in this time,” Sanusi said.

Using Culture for Protection

Corroborating this, Obi Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe explained that culture is important and should be used to protect the weak in society, rather than intimidate them.

He referenced the Onitsha community, where he said the traditional system has established rules “call to order” anyone targeting vulnerable persons such as widows and physically-challenged people.

“It’s working for us,” the monarch said on the breakfast show.

“We are using culture to protect not only girls and women, but to protect everybody: the widows, the disabled, the down-and-out, and the unhealthy,” the Obi of Onitsha said.

“It is about coming together within our community, the way we organise, and taking care of each other. We have our rules, regulations, and guidelines; when people act otherwise, the system calls them to order.”

Education is Key

Adding a medical perspective, the Emir of Shonga, Haliru Ndanusa, decried the rising levels of early girl-child marriage. He described it as “very devastating” and highlighted its physical toll on young girls.

The traditional ruler, who likened a pregnant 12-year-old to “a baby carrying a baby,” cautioned that such practices can “damage girls permanently.

“Sometimes they fall together and stand up again, but importantly, she gets damaged,” he said.

He suggested education as one of the most effective instruments to address child-marriage and called on community leaders to “create smart bylaws ourselves” to sanction offenders.

“When you force them to school, you do many things. So, we can use that instrumentality to get them to marry later because it’s very devastating when they marry early,” the Emir of Shonga said, adding that enlightenment is also critical to addressing the “monster”.

For the traditional rulers, while monarchs and communities can create safer spaces for vulnerable groups, governments must ultimately complement such efforts. (Channels TV)