Community leaders say critics do not understand their customs but there are calls for an investigation.

An influential traditional priest aged 63 has sparked an outrage in Ghana by marrying a 12-year-old girl.

The priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, married her in a customary ceremony held on Saturday.

In the face of criticism, community leaders have said people do not understand their customs and tradition.

The legal minimum age to get married in Ghana is 18 and the prevalence of child marriage has declined, but it continues to happen.

According to the global campaigning NGO Girls Not Brides, 19% of girls in the country are married before they reach 18 and 5% get married before their 15th birthday.

Videos and photos of Saturday’s elaborate event that was attended by dozens of community members have been widely shared on social media, triggering an outcry among many Ghanaians.