Connect with us

Entertainment

Return home now, police orders 14-yr-old forced into marriage

Published

on

Return home now, police orders 14-yr-old forced into marriage

Two days after seventy-year-old Tanko Isiyaku called for the return of his 14-year-old daughter Habiba who was converted to Islam and married off to one Jamilu Lawal, said to be an aide to the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabiru Usman, the Katsina State Police Command has asked the minor to return home to her parents.

Usman Abdullahi, the state police commissioner, gave the advice stating that at her age, she was too young to take any decision on marriage and religion, the reason she should retrace her steps and return to her folks.

Abdullahi said that much while expressing the position of the police at a press briefing in Katsina yesterday.

Continuing, Abdullahi said the police was not aware of the matter until last month when a petition, written on behalf of Habiba’s parents by Bawa, Bawa &Partners, which accused Lawal of abduction and forced marriage, was submitted to the command headquarters.

However, the commissioner revealed that investigation into the matter cleared Lawal of any criminal act after he was invited over for questioning and the police had no choice but to grant him bail.

“It was gathered that the girl was neither “kidnapped, abducted nor procured,” as she was the one who willingly left her parents’ house to the house of the Chairman of Hisbah, who took her to their village head and later to the district head of Kankara, where she explained that she had converted to Islam.” Abdullahi said.

Read also: Emir Sanusi speaks out against child marriage

Continuing he added that; “This was contained in the statement she gave willingly to the police. It was on this note that the suspect (Lawal) was released since the case of alleged kidnapping and abduction could not be established against him.”

A meeting was later convened by the police according to the commissioner and present at the gathering were Habiba’s father Isiyaku; his two brothers, whose names were not given; their lawyer, state and local government chairmen of the Christian Association of Nigeria, officials from the Kankara Local Government Area and representatives of the Emir of Katsina.

“At the meeting, Isa, in addition to the written statement, said she decided on her own to leave her parents’ house for Kankara town, where she converted to Islam, without the influence of Lawal.” The police commissioner said.

He added that; “In view of the foregoing, I want to advise the girl to go back to her parents. The police are not party to the changing of the girl’s faith.

“The police are not aware of any marriage; and if there is any marriage, the police are not a party to it”, he stated.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now