Help! Father Of Girl, 14, Allegedly Married Off By Emir Of Katsina To Her Kidnapper Cries Out
The Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Usman, has been accused of marrying off a 14-year-old schoolgirl to her kidnapper.
The Nation reports her father, Mal. Isiyaku Tanko, explained that Habiba Isiyaku was abducted on the 16th of August 2016 from her school, Government Senior Secondary School, Kudun Kankara, Kastina State by one Jamilu Lawal, forcefully converted to Islam and married off by the Emir without her parents’ permission.
Tanko also alleged during a press conference in Abuja through the help of Stefanos Foundation that Jamilu had not only admitted to abducting his daughter but also revealed that she is presently being kept at the Palace of the Emir.
”My little girl was abducted on the 16th of August 2016 from her school. After my investigations, I discovered that Jamilu Lawal who lives in the same community was responsible for my daughters’ disappearance.
I requested that a formal complaint about the incident be lodged to the Commissioner of Police in Kastina, Jamilu and his parents were summoned to the police station and he not only admitted to abducting my daughter Habiba but also revealed that she was presently being kept at the Palace of the Emir of Kastina.
On arrival at the Palace, the Emir informed me that my daughter has been converted from Christianity to Islam henceforth, there is no longer any relationship between me and my daughter and we can no longer inherit each other.
He further informed me that he has received the sum if N50, 000.00 as dowry from Jamilu Ibrahim for my daughter therefore, he will give her out in marriage in accordance with Islamic rites and injunctions.
As at today, I am aware that the Emir of Kastina has gone ahead to marry out my little girl without my consent, having received a dowry he is not entitled to receive, it fills me with so much pain and grief to realize that my daughter, who will turn 15 this Saturday the 15th may be celebrating her birthday in a forced marriage.
I appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians and those in authority to help join hands to see that my daughter is released to me though the violations already done to her person may be irreversible. I further appeal that the Incident be well investigated and diligently prosecuted,” Tanko said.
Mark Lipdo, the programme Coordinator for Stafanos Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization assisting Habiba’s parents with her release stated that:
”Habiba is a girl that just completed her Junior Secondary school and had very good grades, she had so much prospects only to be abducted, when her parents were invited to the Emirs palace. She was brought out in a hijab and he told them that they no longer have any relationship with the girl anymore because she has been converted to Islam and that he the Emir of Katsina has now become the father of the girl and he can do whatever he wants with her.
After a few days that the father was sent back, we followed with the Commissioner of Police to try to get the girl, we took a lawyer with us as Stefanos Foundation to stand with the parents to demand for their rights but the rights where denied, we petitioned the Inspector General (IG) of Police here in Abuja to see if he can secure the girls release but till date, he is yet to respond, we brought the parents to Christian.
Association of Nigeria (CAN) for help, to see if they can help secure her release and they said that they will be following the matter up with the IG, but up till today, nothing, we have been in this town for three days now we have not heard anything from CAN and the IG.
The girl is a minor and things like this has to stop happening in this country because if it continues, people are going to result to self-help because where a person has been told his right but he it has been deliberately refused it, if the person has any strength, he will result to self-help.”
Photo credit: The Nation
What sort of useless and shameless emir is that? See the rubbish he is saying. How can you marry out someone else’s daughter? And nobody is doing anything about it. This nation is just so useless and lawless if not things like this won’t be happening. I am so livid reading this. How can you just convert a minor forcefully without her or her parents consent and still marry her off and have the guts to say she doesn’t belong to her parents anymore. When I say muslims are the number one problem of this country and the world at large, people will want to chop me raw. This is why they are fighting hard to see that the gender equality bill doesn’t see the light of day. Only Islam forces people to convert mtschew rubbish.
This so called emir should be called to order, he does not have any right to marry off a child that isn’t his. WTH is going on here?????
this is getting crazy and irritating. omg…
Can u just imagine the rubbish? The same God that freed ese oruru LL free her too
This just shows what all those emirs do to innocent girls and poor citizens. It’s time for them to be exposed. I pray more publicity be made on this
This is not an islamic teaching,so he did it for his own benefit.he has to be dealt with the law.
This is not acceptable