Family Accuses Emir of Katsina of Abducting, Forcefully Marrying a Christian Minor

•  Girl misses school resumption
•  Police, CAN ignore plea to intervene
•  CP bungles rescue move

Paul Obi in Abuja

The family of Mr Isiyaku Tanko of Warkaza community in Kudun Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State on Wednesday accused the Emir of Katsina of forcefully abducting and marrying their 14 years old daughter, Habiba Isiyaku, denying her of her constitutional rights.

Habiba was said to have been abducted on the 16th August, 2016 by an official of Emir of Katsina, Jamilu Lawal.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, father of Habiba, Mr IsiyakuTanko, who spoke through his lawyer, Barr. Yakubu Bawa, decried the manner in which the Emir’s Palace guards manhandled him in his attempt to secure his daughter.

Tanko who was accompanied to the briefing by his eldest daughter, Mrs Hajara Suleman, cried profusely, begging for the rescue of Habiba and calling on Nigerians to assist them retrieve their daughter.

He also complained about the mishandling of the matter by both the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Usman Abdullahi.

Speaking on the matter, Bawa said the girl needs to be rescued “because she is under a guardian and the control of her parents now until she clocks 18, that is the age of maturity and accountability. The second point is that Habiba cannot be forcefully converted to Islam by the Emir of Katsina, His Royal Highness, Alhaji AbdulMumin Kabiru usman.

“He has no right to do that… And when the CP summoned the parties concerned to his office, what baffled me and my heart is still bleeding is the fact that ordinary security detail gave an instruction that Emir has instructed him that when the girl was brought to his office that he’s under instruction to bring back the girl to the of Palace of the Emir.”

“And yet the CP that who has the entire command under his control could not even take a position but unfortunately succumbed to the instruction of an ordinary detail and released the girl back to the Palace.

“He instructed the man to go the Palace the following day and receive his daughter. For me, with due respect, the CP has failed in his constitutional duties as enshrined in the Police Act.

“On reaching the Emir Police, all that this man will be confronted with was for him to sit on the floor and the Emir demand to introduce the matter through his aide, the Kilishin Katsina to tell him that, come, since your daughter has converted, she came with Hijab. She couldn’t look at her mum and her father. He said since she has converted, there is a big barrier between you and your daughter now.

“The man said if my daughter has converted to Islam, give me my daughter to go and practice her newly found faith in my house. The Kilishin Katsina said no, that it’s not possible.”