The Emir of Katsina has denied playing a role in the alleged kidnap and marrying-off of a 14-year-old girl
Abdulmumini Usman was accused of marrying-off the kidnapped girl to her kidnapper
The girl named Habiba Isiyaku was reportedly kidnapped from school and was forcefully converted to Islam
Abdulmumini Usman, the Emir of Katsina, has denied the accusation that he married-off a certain 14-year-old Habiba Isiyaku to the man who kidnapped her from school.
The Nation earlier reported that the 14-year-old who according to her father, Mal Isiyaku Tanko was kidnapped from school, Government Senior Secondary School, Kudun Kankara, Kastina state by one Jamilu Lawal, has been forcefully converted to Islam and married off by the Emir without her parents consent.
Mal. Tanko who was made to present his case by the Stefanos Foundation at a press conference in Abuja, stated 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 of Katsina.
He added that the Emir had informed him that his daughter had been converted to Islam and he had received the sum of N50, 000.00 as dowry from Jamilu Ibrahim, he also said the Emir had informed him that he will marry Habiba off to Jamilu in accordance with islamic rites and injunctions.
His words, “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.
He accused me of defaming him at the Police Station and I was threatened, intimidated and coerced to sign an apology drafted on my behalf in his Palace.
“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.”
Programme Coordinator for Stafanos Foundation, Mark Lipdo, a Non-Governmental Organization assisting the parents with the release of Habiba stated.
“We have been trying to intervene in the conflicts going on in Nigeria, we believe in the human rights of all citizens and encourage that fundamental rights be upheld at all times to maintain a sane society.
“Many times we call on the appropriate authorities to act like in the case of Habiba Isiyaku, such incidents can make conflicts continue in Nigeria.
“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 palaceN 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.”
On his part, the Emir who denied all the allegations during a meeting with the Katsina branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Thursday in Katsina, said the girl embraced Islam on her own volition.
The emir, represented by one of the king makers, Nuhu Abdulkadir, the ‘Kauran-Katsina’, said it was the Commissioner of Police who sent the matter to the palace for resolution.
According to him, the father of the girl, Isyaku Tanko, had petitioned the police that one Jamilu Lawal had abducted his daughter, converted her to Islam and married her without their consent.
Mr Lawal is said to work in the palace of the Emir Kabir.
The Emir said that during investigation, the palace discovered that Habiba embraced Islam on her own volition.
He said that the girl had indicated her interest in marrying Jamilu, who is from the same area with her, and that the Emirate Council married her to her heartthrob, who paid N50,000 as dowry.
He said the palace interviewed the girl to ascertain if she was forced to accept Islam, and she said no, and declined following her father home.
The Emir further said that the father of the girl had written an apology to the palace after discovering that he had made wrong accusations to council, and showed the letter to journalists present.
In his remarks, the Katsina State CAN Chairman, Nelson Onyekachukwu, said the palace should always contact CAN in the state on such matters.
“We should be given time to go home and discuss with the parents and Kankara CAN branch on the matter and report back to the palace,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tanko had told a news conference organised by Stefanos Foundation in Abuja on Wednesday that Jamilu had admitted to abducting his daughter.
He said that his daughter would be 15 years old on Saturday, and that she was kidnapped from her school, Government Senior Secondary School, Kudun Kankara, Kastina State by one Jamilu Lawal.
He also said that she had been forcefully converted to Islam and married off by the Emir without her parents’ consent.
“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.’’
He said that he had lodged a formal complaint with the Commissioner of Police in Kastina, and that he had also gone to the palace to retrieve his daughter but his mission was unsuccessful.
“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 of N50, 000 as dowry from Jamilu Ibrahim for my daughter.
“Therefore, he will give her out in marriage in accordance with Islamic rites and injunctions.
“He accused me of defaming him at the Police Station and I was threatened, intimidated and coerced to sign an apology drafted on my behalf in his Palace.”
He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians and those in authority to help assist him to secure the release of his daughter.
On his part, Mark Lipdo, the Programme Coordinator for Stafanos Foundation, an NGO, said that the organisation intervened in conflicts.
“We have been trying to intervene in the conflicts going on in Nigeria; we believe in the human rights of all citizens and encourage that fundamental rights be upheld at all times to maintain a sane society.”
He noted that Habiba, who had just completed her Junior Secondary School with very good grades, had much prospects.
He said the foundation had petitioned the Inspector General of Police with a view to securing the girls” release but had yet to get a response.
“The girl is a minor and things like this have to stop happening in this country because if it continues, people are going to resort to self-help,’’ Mr Lipdo said.
There are several cases such as that of 14-year-old Habiba Isiyaku, one very prominent case was that of Ese Oruru who was kidnapped in August 2015 by one Yunusa Dahiru, also known as Yellow, and taken to Kano where she was also supposedly married off.
Oruru’s alleged abductor was a customer of the girl’s mother who is a food seller in Bayelsa.
The girl, however, denied claims that she was abducted and says she converted to Islam of her own free will.
Ese Oruru, who has been allegedly kidnapped, has finally returned to her home in Bayelsa state on March 2, Wednesday.
In company of her mother, Mrs Rose Oruru and some police officers from Abuja, the girl was taken to the Officers’ Mess and went into a secret meeting with the police commissioner in Yenagoa.
With the recent out-burst of numerous bloggers, only a few stand out, of course our review separates Nora's blog from the plethora of slapdash Blogs. News,Music,Wellness,Supplements, Entertainment,Beauty,and yes... Gossip! FOR ENQ +2348106692263 +2348117103991
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon