A 63-year-old priest has sparked mixed reactions after he married a 12-year-old girl in Ghana on Saturday, March 30.

The marriage ceremony took place in Nungua, Ghana, as the man, known as Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, tied the knot with the child, reportedly called Naa Okromo.

A guest, who endorsed the marriage, said the marriage came about due to a longstanding custom mandating that the priest marry a virgin. He revealed that there are currently no virgin girls in Nungua above the age of nine.

The priest selected her when she was just six years old. Now, the girl is expected to participate in a second customary ceremony focused on purification.

The ritual is thought to empower her to carry out her anticipated responsibilities as a wife to Gborbu Wulomo, which includes bearing children.

The shrine of Gborbu Wulomo at Nungua in the Greater Accra region defended the marriage, saying: “She is still in school, she does not live with the Gborbu Wulomo. We started the traditional marriage of Naa Yomo Ayemuade (12-year-old) to ward off other men. When she matures, we will have our final rites.”

Star FM in Ghana reported that the ceremony was allegedly necessary “to ensure no man s3xually stains her.”

A spokesperson for the temple Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II explained the historical and spiritual relevance of the marriage.

They said: “Naa Yomo Ayemuade is a reincarnated woman who lived over 300 years ago and has returned to ensure that the sacred rituals of one of the deities which have not been performed for years can be done.”

The priest “will have to wait until she is mature or she reaches the legal age of marriage and childbirth” to have s3xual relations with the child”, Star FM reported.