Police Orders Katsina Emirate Council to Return ‘Abducted’ Teenager

The Police Command in Katsina has spoken up for the first time since the news of the abducted teenager, Habiba Isa broke.

Punch reports that Usman Abdullahi, the commissioner of police, has ordered that 14-year-old Habiba Isa be returned to her parents because she is too young to make any decisions on religion or marriage without her parents’ consent.

The  Police commissioner also noted that the abduction case came to his notice in September after he received a petition filed by the girl’s parents through a legal chamber Bawa, Bawa & Partners.

In August 2016, Habiba’s parents, the Isiyaku Tanko family of Warkaza Community of the state filed a complaint, stating that their daughter Habiba was abducted by Jamiu Lawal, an aide of the Emir, forcefully converted to Islam and married to him. But the Emirate Council declared the marriage irreversible.

Commissioner of police Abdullahi said during the press conference with journalists yesterday,  “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.”

Now, Abdullahi has asked that Habiba be returned to her parents. “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,” he said.

“The police are not aware of any marriage; and if there is any marriage, the police are not a party to it.”