Court declares all marriages conducted by the Ikoyi Marriage Registry, others, illegal and invalid

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has declared that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to conduct marriages, declaring as illegal and invalid, for example, all solemnisation of unions at the Ikoyi marriage registry, Lagos.

The court, presided over by Justice D. E. Osiagor, held that only the local government marriage registries were empowered to do such by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

ThisDay reports that the judge added that the acts of the federal government through the Ministry of Interior, operating marriage registries was beyond their powers and held that all marriages conducted by federal marriage registries or through their agents were illegal and invalid.

He consequently ordered the closure of all federal marriage registries opened by the ministry, including that of Ikoyi marriage registry with immediate effect.