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 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).
punchng
Congratulations to them
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