Another Teenage Girl Kidnapped And Married Off In Zaria
A teenage girl, Ifeoma Nichodemus left her parents home in the Hausa community in Zaria, Kaduna in May 2014 after a fight with her mother. She reportedly went to a neighbour’s house to calm down or so her parents thought…21 months later, the parents are yet to see her.
Ifeoma is now believed to be living as Aisha somewhere in Kaduna after allegedly being married off. Read the full story from Sunnewsonline.ng after below…
Ifeoma, now 16, Saturday Sun learnt, might have been converted to Islam, even as her mother disclosed that she gathered reliably that her daughter had been married off. This was the story, told to our reporter in November last year.
Since then, nothing happened. But by last week Wednesday, apparently folÂlowing the public outcry over the abducÂtion of Bayelsa-born Ese, Mr. NichodeÂmus was sighted at the Police Command headquarters, in Kaduna. However, neither the Police nor Mr. Nichodemus, was forthcoming on what transpired last Wednesday.
The only thing he told Saturday Sun when pressed further was that âthe situÂation remains the same. Nothing has changed, as my daughter is not back. The Sharia Court handling the matÂter keeps adjourning the case and as a result, we are still where we were last yearâ
Speaking during an interview then, Ndubuisi Nichodemus, resident of Sabon-Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State, who appealed to the authorities concerned, to help rescue his daughter, allegedly in the custody of another man since 2014, said her daughter had come home late on that fateful day and felt, as responsible parÂents, she should be scolded. They did, and the girl ran into a neighbourâs house.
Thereafter, he said the girl claimed she had renounced Christianity for IsÂlam as her preferred religion, which made one of the neighbours simply identified as Abdullahi to take the girl to one Alhaji Shehu Khalil, who train new converts into Islam. This is even as IfÂeomaâs biological mother disclosed that she heard reliably that her daughter has been given out in marriage without her knowledge and consent.
According to Nudubuisi, âit all startÂed in May (2014) when she came home late and her mother talked to her. She then left the compound to our neighÂbourâs place. We lived in the midst of Hausa who are majorly Muslims. So, we learnt that Abdullahi has taken her to Mallam, Khalil who work with Ahmadu Bello University, at Energy Research here in Samaru. The next thing we heard was the conversion of our daughter to Islam.
âSo after we approached him for the release of our daughter, he told us she had traveled to Sokoto. When we reported the case to the Christian AssoÂciation of Nigeria (CAN) in Zaria, and they wrote to Commissioner of Police Kaduna State, Directorate of State SeÂcurity (DSS) for assistance, the Police Commissioner, Shehu Umar, sent some of his men to Zaria, that the girl should be handed over to her biological parents.
âBut on getting to Zaria, the man has gone to Sharia Court in Zaria to collect a court order, granting him the custody of the girl. This was granted without conÂsulting her biological father.
âSo, we were told that our daughÂter had been moved from Zaria to one school called Da-rul Islam in Kaduna where new converts are usually taken to. This attitude is capable of igniting religion crisis in the State. We have been in Zaria for more than three decades without having any issue with anybody.
âNow when we approached the school in Kaduna alongside the CAN representative, the school told us to go and get a written clarification to that efÂfect because there was a written order from court before she was admitted. The school later appealed to us to come and take our girl because she was given them problem. But we need court order to do that.
âEven with the intervention of the Commissioner of Police that the girl should be released to us, the court reÂfused to release her and instead transÂferred the case to upper Sharia court in Zaria.
âIn fact, for more than a year now, we have not set our eyes on our own daughter when we are still alive. We are against this impunity that our child will be in custody of another man when we the parents are alive.
âThe whole episode had even forced us out of the former house where it all started. We are hereby calling on conÂcerned authorities including the State government to come to our rescue. They have aborted her schooling. She has also been kept incommunicado as we are no longer hearing from her. She remains a Christian and not a Muslim as they claim. She is just a 15-year-old girl and that makes her a minor in this case. I want my daughter back so she can conÂtinue with her education.â
But Ifeomaâs mother, Angnes NichÂodemusâ view was completely different form her husbandâs. She alleged that her daughter was said to have been married out to a Hausa Muslim without the conÂsent of her parents.
According to her, âI was told that one Hausa boy has been given my daughÂter, a minor, as wife without our input as parents. I was made to realise that the boy is working inside ABU here in Zaria, though I donât know whether as a staff of the school or not. This is rather modern oppression and slavery.
âWe have been doing everything we could legally. But from the way it has been, it shows we are not one Nigeria. You can imagine how you will feel as a mother when your child is missing. But my daughterâs case is different beÂcause for more than a year now she is being in custody of another man. No contact, no phone call. This is rather unfortunate.â
When contacted through his mobile telephone, the man at the centre of the allegation, Alhaji Shehu Khalil, was not ready to give much details on the issues raised.
Instead, he just said âHow did you manage to get my number? Who said he has his daughter in my custody? Well, I donât know anything. You can come to Zaria I donât know anything because I cannot talk to you on phone.â
The Police on its part, through its Kaduna Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Zubair Abubakar, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further, saying âyou know the case is still in court and Iâm not permitÂted until the court decides.â
Hmmmmm what’s all this nah? God please help the female child in this our Nigeria.
What’s all this rubbish na? I think this guys are calling for religous war, why would you kidnap another person’s child and sex slave them? Why the forceful convertion in the
first place?
Na wah ooooo. These things are seriously happening and yet no body is doing anything about it of not for this ese’s issue. All these moslim cleric that conduct these marriage and convert innocent girls should be charged as accomplice.
What a sad real life tale. Hausa/sharia court/child bride, only God will deliver us from them. A lot of pending issue, and d Police are nt doing anytin. You can take someone child without the parent consent. Is this one Nigeria????
God is exposing the evil of the northerners in this country and they will pay for it
n wa oooo
What is happening in dis country sef? We need a sane government in dis country. Why would you forcefully convert a young girl to another religion and marry her off just like that. May d Lord deal with all d people who are not interested in d peace of dis country. We heard dat Our leaders are looking for how to Islamize everybody. I’ve been doubting dat story but all dese makes dat story seems true
Lord have mercy
Hmmm.
NT again
Na wao
Hmmm!! What’s all these??
Lord have mercy
This is becoming a regular occurrence, something needs to be done asap.
Hmmmm
God have Mercy
This is getting serious
What is wrong is wrong with these people? ???