By Emmanuel Elebeke, Abuja

A non-governmental organisation, Stefanos Foundation has condemned in its entirety the recent forced marriage and conversion of a 16-year-old girl, Godiya Musa to a Muslim boy in Kaduna State, using government instruments and called on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, all the law enforcement agencies and indeed the international community to immediately intervene for timely release of the innocent girl.

The Director of Administration, Stefanos Foundation, Abraham Hassan made the call on Tuesday at a press conference held in Abuja.

Hassan is also calling on all relevant agencies for timely investigation of the dastardly act and unmasking of the perpetrators of the wicked act with a view to bringing them to book.

The Foundation said it received a report from Ungwan Sarkin Hausawa, a village of Giwa Local Government, Kaduna State on 12th of May, 2024, that a 16-year old Godiya Musa, who hails from a Christian family in the area was abducted and forcefully married to a Muslim Boy in Kaduna state without the consent of the parents.

According to Hassan, the organization immediately swung into action and published an article to facilitate the release of the girl to her widowed mother but regrettably, the girl is yet to be released till date.

‘‘We gathered that Godiya was abducted, taken to Katsina and thereafter brought back to Kaduna to be married out to a Muslim man without the consent of her parents. Stefanos Foundation similarly advocated for the release of one Habibba Ishaku, a juveline Christian girl who was abducted and married out to a Muslim boy in the year 2016. The marriage of Habibba to one Muslim Man, Jamilu Lawan was said to have been with the consent of the Emir of Katsina, Alh. Abdulmumin Usman,’ he added.

In 2023, a similar case had occurred in Darazo Local Government of Bauchi state, where a widow who hailed from the Eastern Nigeria was deprived of the right to her family life, when her daughter was abducted and forcefully married to a Muslim man. Traumatised by this act, she resorted to leaving the child behind in Bauchi state for fear of similar occurrence happening to her other daughters. Recall also that in March 2016, Ese Oruru was abducted from her Bayelsa home and moved to Kano for a forceful marriage and many more.

Worried by this terrible incidents, Stefanos Foundation is stating that the abduction of the juvenile Christian girl contravenes her right to personal liberty, freedom of association and freedom of movement as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria respectively.

Referencing the 1995 UN Beijin treaty which prohibits underaged marriage of girls, Hassan said it was shocking that the vice is still prominent in the Northern Nigeria, as typified by the 16-year old Godiya Musa case, who was forcefully married to a Muslim boy using government instruments.

Underage marriage remains a global issue clogging development of many countries, Nigeria inclusive. As at February 2024, Nigeria ranked 3rd among countries with the highest incidence of underaged marriage.

Quoting a recent statistics for underaged marriage of girl child , Hassan said ‘‘Nigeria is at 30% while that of the boy child is 1.6%.

‘‘The perpetrators of these vices have always acted with impunity and under the guise of the Islamic religion to crumble the prospects of would-be leaders of Nigeria. Since the emergence of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the existing tension has aggravated the Northern Christians,’’ he said.

And since Nigeria is said to be secular nation, Hassan called on Government to intervene and abate the growing abduction and forceful conversion of teenage Christian girls as this could help subside the notion of the people on the Muslim-Muslim ticket mantra before the 2023 elections.

Speaking on behalf of CAN, Kaduna State, Rev. Bulus Ibrahim also called on government to intervene in timely release of Godiya from her abductors.

Rev. Ibrahim, who praised the State Governor for what he called his religious tolerance policy, appealed to all peace loving people of the state to desist from such barbaric acts capable of stocking religious conflagration in the country.

Narrating the genesis of the abduction, Godiya’s Auncle, Jonathan Yahaya, said, ‘‘on the 13th April 2024, our 16-year old daughter Godiya woke up at about 5am to ease herself and never returned. We were alarmed and reported to the district head and the police in that order. After proper investigation, the police found that Godiya was abducted and was at the Emir’s palace in Katsina. The same Jamilu Lawal from Giwa was suspected to be responsible for her disappearance. This is evidenced by her return to his house and subsequent marriage to Jamilu.”

While accusing the police for doing little to salvage the situation, Yahaya also appealed to Government to ensure unconditional release of their daughter and on the National Assembly to come up with a legislation to safeguide teenage girls from such unwholesome act.