Katsina Emirate Denies Forceful Marriage, Conversion of Xtian Girl

By Ibrahim Shuaibu

Katsina emirate on Thursday denied reports that it had forcefully converted a 14-year-old girl, Habiba Isah Tanko, from Christianity to Islam.

The emirate spoke through Kauran Katsina, Alhaji Abdulkadir Nuhu, who said the girl willingly converted to Islam and was not forced to do so.

He said the girl’s parents had come to the emirate where she was asked if she was in anyway forced to convert and marry; but she replied in the negative.

Nuhu also said the girl on her own decided to get married to Jamilu, and had decided on her own not to go back to her parent’s home.

The emirate also denied that it had forcefully married out the girl to one of its staff, one Jamilu Lawal.

The girl, Habiba, was also brought before members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) , and emirate council members before whom she was asked to speak on her conversion and marriage.

She maintained that she willingly converted to Islam from Christianity, and decided to get married on her own volition and was already seeing her menstruation before she got married.