Katsina: 15-year-old Christian Girl Allegedly Kidnapped

A 15-year-old Christian girl identified as has been allegedly kidnapped, forcefully converted to Islam and married off to her abductor at Gidan Dandada Rafin Iyaka, in Sabuwa Kasa Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State.

In a report published on Thursday, April 15, 2020, by the Hausa Christian Foundation the conversion and marriage was said to have been carried out by the District Head of Kafur.

According to the report, Aisha went missing from home on 10th February, 2021. Two days later, her 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. Aisha’s family went to see the District Head at his palace in order to bring their daughter back home but he refused to release her on the ground that she wanted to convert to Islam.

Ten days later, the District Head called Aisha’s parent to tell them that one Mohammed Sama’ila wants to marry Aisha their daughter but they rejected the proposal.

However, the District Head went ahead to arrange the marriage between Aisha and Mohammed Samaila without the consent and approval of Aisha’s family.

“Rafin Iyaka Sabuwar Kasa, Kafur LGA of Katsina State is a mixed community of both Christian and Muslim Hausas, but the Christians continued to live in pains and bondage perpetrated by the Muslim side that constantly enjoys the protection of the District Head of Kafur and the Emir of Katsina.

These two Islamic traditional rulers do everything possible to stop the constitutionally recognized law enforcement agencies like the Police from rightly carrying out their statutory duties. That is why any crime committed against the Christians will always be swept under the carpet.

Due to the previous experiences of the Christian community of Gidan Dandada Rafin Iyaka on the abduction and forceful conversion of their young girls which Aisha happens to be the 9th person, the Family of Aisha didn’t hesitate to report some strange moves of one Mohammed Samaila around their 15 year old daughter to their village head.

As usual, the said Mohammed Samaila and his father kept denying having anything to do with Aisha. These strange moves continue for about two years and the village head was not willing to take any action against the said Mohammed Samaila. When the family of Aisha could no longer tolerate what they were seeing, they decided to relocate Aisha from the village Gidan Dandada Rafin Iyaka, to Funtua for Aisha to be staying with her elder sister.