KATSINA'S Emirate Council has announced that the recent marriage between 14-year-old girl Habiba Isayaku and a man she was given to by the Emir of Katsina Alhaji Abdulmumin Usman is irreversible because Islam forbids it.
On August 16, Habiba Isiyaku was abducted from Government Senior Secondary School in Kudun Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State by one Jamilu Lawal of Wawar Kaza in Kankara Local Government Area. Apparently, Emir of Katsina Alhaji Abdulmummuni Kabir Usman sold the youngster into modern day slavery for N50,000 ($127).
Consequently, the girl's father reported the matter and the police moved into action and after his arrest, Mr Lawal, informed detectives that Habiba is being kept at the palace of the emir. According to the council, however, the marriage and Isayaku's conversion to Islam was voluntarily and willingly entered into by the girl.
Council told officials of the Katsina State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, who visited Emir Usman in his palace over the issue, said that there was no evidence that the 14-year-old girl was forced to act against her wish. However, the family of Isiyaku Tanko of Warkaza community in the Kudun Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State alleged that Emir Usman forcefully abducted their 14-year-old daughter and forced her into marrying him.
She was said to have been abducted on August 16, 2016, by one Jamilu Lawal, an aide of the emir, who worked in the palace. She has since converted to Islam and held incommunicado.
Isayaku is expected to clock 15 tomorrow and would have resumed school for the new academic term but for her abduction. She was said to have passed her Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination and was expected to start Senior Secondary School.
The incident was blown open when her father lodged a complaint with the Stefanos Foundation, a humanitarian civil rights organisation, which took over the matter. Ms Isayaku was allowed to appear before Christian Assocation of Nigeria (Can) officials and others in the palace on Thursday and was asked three questions by the Kaora Katsina, Alhaji Nuhu Abdulkadir, on behalf of the emirate council.
She was asked whether she was forcefully converted to Islam, to which she replied no. She was also asked whether the emirate council or any other person forced her into the marriage with the emir, to which she also answered no.
The third question was whether by the time she met her husband, she was already experiencing menstrual period, to which she answered yes. Reverend Nelson Ugochukwu, the chairman of the Katsina State chapter of the Can told the emirate council that Isayaku’s marriage did not have the consent of her parents, who he said, were crying for justice in Abuja.
Alhaji Abdulkadir said: “The three questions are in line with the dictates of the Islamic religion. Since Isa has voluntarily answered the three questions in our presence, there is no going back on her marriage.”
Reverend Ugochukwu added: “We are not pleased and we demand justice. Her parents are in Abuja, crying for justice and in my religion, you cannot give out any lady in marriage without the consent of her parents.
"This marriage does not have the consent of this little girl’s parent, who are not happy with what has happened. As the Can chairman in Katsina, I am the father of all Christians in the state and the parents told me that the girl is 14 years and she is supposed to be in school."
He added that he wants justice to be done in this matter. Reverend Ugochukwu said he wants the emirate council to look into the matter, as to them, the girl is still a Christian.
Comments
Post a Comment