Exclusive photos: Abok foils teenage marriage, 4 arrested

Abok LC3 chairman: “I am tough on child marriage. If you train a girl, you would have trained the entire world.”

Oyam – January 12, 2022: The authorities of Abok sub-county in Oyam North, Oyam district managed to foil a marriage between teenagers.

This happened at the weekend.

The development was confirmed by the Abok sub-county LC3 Chairperson Philips Ogile Jakayo.

In an exclusive interview with TND News on Monday, Ogile said: “I don’t want to know any issue of child marriage. I don’t want marriage between children.”

Four people have been arrested, according to the Abok chairman, adding that more are to be arrested.

One cow and a calf for marrying off a 14-year-old girl by a 20-year-old boy, one saucepan full of meat were all intercepted by the security team.

The LC 1 of Anyom ‘A’ village in Ariba parish, his general secretary and two others were in attendance.

abok — **This is another and the last cow the family of a 20y-o boy wanted to give.**

Ogile has asked parents to stop the practice with immediate effect. He further appealed to the central government to support local leaders who are fighting for the rights of girlchild.

“There is no grassroots offices for sensitisation. There is poor facilitation for stakeholders’ mobilisation and this is leading to children growing up badly.”