The Katsina Emirate Council on Thursday declared that the marriage between 14-year-old girl, Habiba Isa, and the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Usman, was irreversible.
The council said the marriage and Isa’s conversion to Islam were voluntarily and willingly entered into by the girl.
The council told officials of the Katsina State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, who visited Usman in his palace over the issue, that there was no evidence that the 14-year-old girl was forced to act against her wish.
The family of Isiyaku Tanko of Warkaza community in the Kudun Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State on Wednesday alleged that 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 was converted to Islam and held incommunicado.
Isa is expected to clock 15 years on Saturday, October 15, 2016, 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 the father of the victim lodged a complaint with Stefanos Foundation, a humanitarian civil rights organisation, which took over the matter.
Isa was allowed to appear before 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.
The Kaora Katsina 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.”
Abdulkadir explained that in as much as the emirate council would not want to be involved in the controversy surrounding the marriage, the palace of the emir was open to all Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe.
A letter purportedly written by Isa’s father was read to the gathering, apologising to the emirate council for any embarrassment the issue might have caused it (the council).
The CAN Chairman for Katsina State, Very Rev. Nelson Ugochukwu, however, told the emirate council that Isa’s marriage did not have the consent of her parents, who he said, were crying for justice in Abuja.
The CAN leader said the association was not in support of the marriage and her conversion to Islam.
He said, “This girl (Isa) standing before us is 14 years. She is supposed to be in school and not given out in marriage.
“We are not pleased and we demand justice. Her parents are in Abuja, crying for justice. 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. The parents are not happy with what has happened.
“As the CAN chairman in Katsina, I am the father of all Christians in the state. Our people are not happy. The parents told me that the girl is 14 years. She is supposed to be in school. I want justice to be done in this matter. I want the emirate to look into the matter. To us, the girl is still a Christian.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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abomination!!! Marrying somebody daughter without parents consent. 14 years old? God is the God of justice. He will surely intervene.
ReplyDeleteSharia in action
ReplyDeleteWhat we are seeing is the real elephant in the room. Northern Muslims consider Islamic dictates to be superior to the Nigerian Constitution or law. In Islam, once a girl starts to menstruate, regardless of her age, she is ripe for marriage with or without the consent of her parents.
ReplyDeleteThey are following the steps of their prophet Muhammad who married a 6yr old Aisha and consumates the marriage(had sex with her) at age 9. So what are we talking about? This is a 14yr old girl. Welcome to Islam.
ReplyDeleteThis a shame to the so called "Emirate" and to the Nigeria government. Does the so called religious law supersede our constitution? How can they abduct someone's child and force her to marry one of them and say it is by her own volition. Ask the Chibok girls that BH abducted and forced to marry them, now, if it was by force. They respond the same way that this innocent girl responded. As long as that girl is under the age of 18yrs, she cannot make such a decision on her own. She is still under the guidance of her parents. This so people are impossible. It is truly disgusting to her this kind of story in this age and time.
ReplyDeleteNow u see the similarities with the chibok abduction in action.
ReplyDeleteAfter using juju to confuse d girl, they still expect her to say yes? Christian in Nigeria should wake up. Can U imaging very old dirtybeard fools marrying small girls young enough to be their grand daughters.
ReplyDeleteLet our security agencies including the commando DSS arrest these bastards for kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteGod! Why did U allow the fusion of LIGHT(Umu Israel) with DARKNESS(Northern Muslims) in this Zoogeria?
Fayose has always been right
ReplyDeleteThere is NO difference between Boko-Haram abduction and Emirs abduction.
ReplyDeleteISLAMIZATION IS REAL !!!~
This act is condemnable. Tufiakwa.
ReplyDeleteThe so called Terrorist Muslims will never come here to comment on this abominable issue..Islam is a cursed to humanity and modern generation.
ReplyDelete