A 63-year-old priest in Ghana has caused widespread outrage after marrying a 12-year-old girl. The girl was selected to be his wife when she was just six years old.

The priest, known as Gborbu Wulomo Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, held the marriage ceremony in Nungua, Krowor, on Saturday.

Despite the backlash, local community leaders defended the marriage, saying that outsiders do not understand their customs and traditions.

“In Nungua, the air is thick with tradition as the customary marriage between Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, and a young girl named ‘Naa Okromo’ unfolds,” reported local news channel Ablade TV Online on Facebook.

Several critics have demanded that authorities dissolve the marriage and investigate Tsuru, as the legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18.

According to tradition, Tsuru must take a “Boi ekpaa yoo,” his customary wife, to assume his authority. The girl still has further rites to carry out until the union is complete, including a second ceremony centered on “purification.”

Footage of the event showed community members gathered to witness the wedding, which has sparked an outcry from many Ghanaians.

During the ceremony, women instructed the girl to dress teasingly for her new husband, suggesting the marriage was not purely ceremonial.

Critics have called for action. One concerned Ghanaian wrote on Facebook, “Customary wife??? Child marriage is criminalized in Ghana, and no rite that violates a girl’s rights should be celebrated.” Another person added, “There are so many things wrong with this country, and this is one of them! How is a 12-year-old becoming a wife in 2024?! Is this some silly joke???”

Leaders of the Nungua community, including Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, condemned the public’s opposition to the marriage, stating that the criticism “comes from a point of ignorance.” Frankwa explained that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife is “purely tradition and custom” and that the necessary rites began when she was six but did not interfere with her education.

Gborbu Wulomo Tsuru is one of the highest-ranking traditional spiritual leaders in the community. He performs sacrifices, prays for the community’s protection, enforces cultural practices, and leads traditional rites.

The Ghanaian government has yet to respond to the controversial marriage. Although the legal minimum age to get married in Ghana is 18, child marriages continue to occur in some areas.

According to UNICEF data, Ghana is home to over two million child brides, with one in five girls aged 20 to 24 married before the age of 18.