The Katsina State Police Command has asked Habiba Isa, the 14-year-old girl who was allegedly converted to Islam and forced into marriage, to return to her parents' house.
Few days ago, we reported that the Emir of Katsina, HRH. Alhaji Abdulmummuni Kabir Usman, through one of his aides forcefully kidnapped a 14-year-old christian girl, Habiba Isa and converted her to Islam before marrying her into 'modern day slavery' without her parent's consent.
The Nigerian Police was later informed by the suspect, Jamilu Lawal after his arrest that the said girl is being kept at the palace of the emir.
All efforts by Habib’s father to seek for the release of his daughter including appealing to emir proved abortive.
According to a new report by Punch Metro, the Katsina State Police Command has now finally asked Habiba Isa to return to her parents’ house and maintained that at her age, she was too young to take any decision on marriage and religion.
Speaking at a press conference in Katsina on Monday, the state police commissioner, Usman Abdullahi, gave the advice while explainig the police’s position on the development, adding that the command was not aware of any marriage between Isa and her alleged abductor, Jamilu Lawal.
The Commissioner of Police said the command after investigating the case, absolved him of any criminal act, adding that the command had no choice, but to release him on bail.
Abdullahi said, “It was gathered that the girl was neither “kidnapped, abducted nor procured,” as she was the one who willingly left her parents’ house to the house of the Chairman of Hisbah, who took her to their village head and later to the district head of Kankara, where she explained that she had converted to Islam.
“This was contained in the statement she gave willingly to the police. It was on this note that the suspect (Lawal) was released since the case of alleged kidnapping and abduction could not be established against him.”
The police boss said the command also invited Isa’s father, Isyaku Tanko; his two brothers, whose names were not given; their lawyer, state and local government chairmen of the Christian Association of Nigeria, as well as the association’s officials from the Kankara Local Government Area, to a meeting.
Also present at the meeting, according to the commissioner, are Lawal, his father, the representatives of the Emir of Katsina and some senior police officers.
The CP said, “At the meeting, Isa, in addition to the written statement, said she decided on her own to leave her parents’ house for Kankara town, where she converted to Islam, without the influence of Lawal.
“In view of the foregoing, I want to advise the girl to go back to her parents. The police are not party to the changing of the girl’s faith.
“The police are not aware of any marriage; and if there is any marriage, the police are not a party to it.”
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