Man petitions Police chief over forceful marriage of underage daughter

A farmer from Niger State, Mr. Habila Gambo, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over the abduction and forceful marriage of his 16-year-old daughter, Janet, by a tailor known as Nasiru Yusuf.

In the petition, Gambo said that his daughter was kidnapped and forced into marriage by the man who was entrusted to train her as a tailor.

The farmer also accused a Sharia court judge of conspiring with Yusuf to secretly marry Janet under unknown Islamic laws without their consent as Christian parents.

The petition read, “On March 15, 2017 our client got home and was showed summons from the Sharia court commanding him to attend proceedings the following day.

“Our client honoured the summons accompanied by his cousin, one Pastor Ishaya Jagaba, without knowing the nefarious grand plan that awaited him. He was shocked to hear from the judge of the Sharia court that his daughter, Janet, had converted and embraced Islam and her name changed to Zainab. He also said that she had been married to Nasiru Yusuf whom she was entrusted to learn tailoring from.”

Gambo said that the judge ignored his objection to the purported marriage on the grounds that his daughter was a minor and incapable of giving consent to marriage without her parents.

Speaking further, he revealed that the judge ordered him out of the court, telling him that he was only summoned to be informed of the marriage and nothing more.

The agitated farmer had, however, called on the IGP to order full scale investigation into the matter and ensure the safe release of his daughter from her ‘abductor’.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command has arrested one Haranda Buba from New Busssa Local Government Area for murder.

Public Relations Officers of the Command, Bala Elkana, said that the suspect was arrested for inflicting machete cut on the head of one Umar Mago during an argument.

The victim, according to him, died on the spot.