By By JohnThomas Didymus Jul 17, 2013 in World Abuja - In a move that would be seen as the climax to an unfolding drama following approval of 14-year jail term for gays on grounds of religious morality, the Nigerian Senate has approved marriage for underage girls also on the ground of religious morality. According to The Senate moved later to alter the provision after Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima (Zamfara West) protested claiming that it violated Islamic law. In spite of a The drama began after the Senate passed 75-14 a proposed amendment that says: "Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age," with subsection (a) defining "full age" as "the age of 18 years and above." Soon after the vote, Yerima drew his colleague's attention to Senate President David Mark responded saying that the amendment had already been passed through a vote and that in keeping with Senate policy the issue would not be revisited. The Senate then went on to vote on whether states should be allowed to establish prisons. After a vote against the proposed amendment, the Senate President held back the gavel from the block and gave instructions for a second vote because of noisy distractions and inattention during the process. Yarima saw this as an opportunity to challenge the earlier decision not to allow a second vote on the the matter of marriage age. He threatened angrily to walk out from the chamber if his request was not granted. His demand led to a sharp exchange with Mark, who insisted: "Senate can revisit it once more but not now because Islamic scholars can argue it and we can revisit later." However, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje (PDP, Gombe), Mark responded: "I take serious exceptions to say that I am doing double standard." Yarima, however, insisted that he wanted another vote. Mark rebuked him sharply, arguing that a second vote would have been unnecessary if he had raised the matter appropriately at the committee before it reached the floor. He, however finally conceded, saying: "Because of the sensitivity of issues on religion I am revisiting it." A Senate composed significantly of men in polygamous marriages voted 60 to 35 to remove from the draft constitution the requirement of 18 years for women being married. The amendment which faces a good prospect of final passage after it is approved by the House of Representatives says that a woman or girl who is married shall be considered "of age" by virtue of her status as a married woman, thus implying that even an infant shall be considered to be "of age" once married. The Nigerian Senate thus approves pedophilia in the constitution after having According to Ahmed Sani Yarima, former governor of Zamfara state, who in 2009, sparked international outrage after he cited Islamic law rather than concupiscence of a strange kind, to justify marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl in violation of Nigeria's constitution, finally succeeded in getting his colleagues in the Senate to approve marriage for underage girls.According to This Day , the Senate, sitting to consider recommendations of the Senate Committee on Review of the Constitution, had earlier voted to retain the section of the constitution stipulating that a woman shall not be qualified for marriage until she is 18 years old.The Senate moved later to alter the provision after Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima (Zamfara West) protested claiming that it violated Islamic law.In spite of a Senate policy prohibiting repeat votes on clauses, Yarima convinced his colleagues to strike out the age requirement for women on the grounds that it was "un-Islamic."The drama began after the Senate passed 75-14 a proposed amendment that says: "Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age," with subsection (a) defining "full age" as "the age of 18 years and above."Soon after the vote, Yerima drew his colleague's attention to item 61 (2.) under part 1 of the second schedule to the constitution which prohibits the National Assembly legislating on matters pertaining to Islamic and Customary laws. He argued: "Under Islamic law, any woman that is married is of age and if you say 18 years you are going against Islamic law."Senate President David Mark responded saying that the amendment had already been passed through a vote and that in keeping with Senate policy the issue would not be revisited.The Senate then went on to vote on whether states should be allowed to establish prisons. After a vote against the proposed amendment, the Senate President held back the gavel from the block and gave instructions for a second vote because of noisy distractions and inattention during the process.Yarima saw this as an opportunity to challenge the earlier decision not to allow a second vote on the the matter of marriage age. He threatened angrily to walk out from the chamber if his request was not granted.His demand led to a sharp exchange with Mark, who insisted: "Senate can revisit it once more but not now because Islamic scholars can argue it and we can revisit later."However, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje (PDP, Gombe), accused the Senate President of "double standard." According to The Daily Trust , Goje said: "Why do we have double standard in this Senate? On two occasions you allowed votes to be retaken on other clauses but you disallowed Senator Yarima."Mark responded: "I take serious exceptions to say that I am doing double standard."Yarima, however, insisted that he wanted another vote. Mark rebuked him sharply, arguing that a second vote would have been unnecessary if he had raised the matter appropriately at the committee before it reached the floor.He, however finally conceded, saying: "Because of the sensitivity of issues on religion I am revisiting it."A Senate composed significantly of men in polygamous marriages voted 60 to 35 to remove from the draft constitution the requirement of 18 years for women being married.The amendment which faces a good prospect of final passage after it is approved by the House of Representatives says that a woman or girl who is married shall be considered "of age" by virtue of her status as a married woman, thus implying that even an infant shall be considered to be "of age" once married.The Nigerian Senate thus approves pedophilia in the constitution after having passed a bill declaring homosexual relations between consenting adults a crime.According to The Daily Trust , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) investigated the allegation of child marriage against Yarima in 2010, but Nigeria's Attorney General at the time, Mohammed Bello Adoke, said the Federal Government could not prosecute him because the marriage was contracted under Islamic law, which the constitution recognizes. 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