Christian Teenage Girl Illegally Married Off To Her Abductors By The Emir of Katsina

A Christian teenage girl identified as Aisha Mani has illegally being married off to her abductor, Mohammed Samaila, without the consent of her family. The illegal marriage was done by the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir. This was reported by the Hausa Christian Foundation (HACFO).

The Hausa Christian Foundation narrated in a post made on Facebook, how the Emir in cahoots with the District Head of Kafur Local Government Area (LGA), Abdulrahman Rabe, conspired to perpetrate the unlawful act.

The report by the Foundation says despite the police efforts and a petition by a law firm; Aisha Mani was illegally married off to her abductor.

Aisha’s family was said to have relocated her from Gidan Dandada, Rafin Iyaka, to another relative in Funtua after they suspected romantic advances from Mr Samaila.

The teenage girl was said to have, however, gone missing from Funtua and after long hours of searching, the case was reported to the police.

According to HACFO, “Two days later, on 12th February 2021, Aisha’s Parents received a call from the District Head of Kafur telling them to stop searching for Aisha because she is safe with him in his house. He claimed that one Idris Shehu brought her to his house,”

Mr Rabe failed to hear family pleas that Aisha should be released to her family, he denied the family access to see Aisha “on the ground that she wanted to convert to Islam.”

After ten days, the traditional ruler called Aisha’s parents and stated that Aisha abductors wanted to marry her but her parents declined.

Subsequently, Mr Rabe “went ahead to arrange marriage between Aisha and Mohammed Samaila without the consent and approval of Aisha’s Family.”

“The Area Commander told the District Head not to go ahead with their marriage plans between Aisha and Mohammed Samaila, but the district head ignored it,”

HACFO revealed that Aisha was taken to the Emir of Katsina same day the District Head should take her to the police station. ” On reaching there, the Emir of Katsina joined Aisha and Mohammed in marriage without the consent of her parents.”

HACFO said this is not the first time the predominantly Muslim community would be oppressing the native Christians. They said daughters of Christians would be forcefully married off to their abductors without their parents consent. They said about nine girls have forcefully married off without the consent of their parents. A girl was returned after she ran mad and another was returned after she got pregnant.

Names of other abductees, according to the NGO, are: Jamima Solomon, Christiana Mamman, Deborah Habila, Phoebe Dankano, Rifkatu Markus, Saratu Isah (Returned her when she went mad after two years), Dije Yakubu Nalami (Abducted as a married woman, and returned when she died), Rebeccah Ado (Returned Pregnant) and Aisha Mani (Currently in captivity).

HACFO alleged that crimes Christians are “are always swept under the carpet”. They also claimed that the Emir and Mr Rabe on several occasions, abuse human rights and “do everything possible to stop the constitutionally recognised law enforcement agencies like the police from rightly carrying out their statutory duties.”