The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, condemns violence against women and child marriage, stating that culture cannot justify abuse and every Nigerian deserves protection under the law

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has condemned violence against women and child marriage, insisting that culture cannot justify abuse and that every Nigerian is entitled to protection under the law.

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Speaking to Channels Television on Wednesday, Sanusi said, “You cannot beat a woman because your culture says you can beat her. She’s a Nigerian citizen entitled to protection.”

The former Central Bank governor argued that practices often blamed on culture actually reflect unequal power dynamics, poverty, and government failure to provide basic services.

“This violence happens in all societies; it’s not about African culture,” he added.

Sanusi highlighted child marriage in rural areas, urging Nigerians to understand the structural causes behind the practice.

He pointed to unsafe roads, lack of secondary schools, and limited local government support as factors that force families into difficult decisions.

“Between 11 and 18, what arrangements have you made for her?” he asked.

“The poor man basically finds that she’s 12 or 13; he’s afraid that she can get pregnant on the road, and the next young man that comes, he marries her off. Sometimes these cultures basically reflect poverty.”

He stressed that urban perspectives often overlook rural realities and that government inaction exacerbates the problem.

“As a nation, we need to have certain common agreements and values,” Sanusi said.

“It doesn’t matter what you think your culture says. The Nigerian law does not allow you to do it.”

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The Emir described many acts blamed on tradition as a “culture of oppression” maintained by violence and exploitation and urged Nigerians to uphold legal and moral standards to protect women and children.