By Sunday Ameh
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a man, Kabir Sani, for allegedly beating his teenage daughter, Ummul Khair, to death after she reportedly resisted efforts to force her into marriage.
The suspect, a commercial driver residing in the Shagari Low-Cost area of Katsina metropolis, was arrested by operatives of the Katsina Central Market Police Division shortly after the incident.
It was gathered that the deceased, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, had repeatedly opposed her father’s plan to marry her off to a suitor he had chosen, a disagreement said to have caused prolonged tension within the family.
Eyewitnesses alleged that Sani began assaulting the teenager on Wednesday, while neighbours who heard her cries made several attempts to intervene but were denied access to the house.
According to residents, the assault continued into Thursday morning until the victim reportedly lost consciousness.
The incident was said to have come to light when some of the deceased’s friends visited the house on Thursday to accompany her to school. They reportedly found her lifeless while her father was preparing to bury her and immediately alerted neighbours, who in turn informed the police.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the community was thrown into mourning by the incident.
“We heard her crying throughout the night and tried several times to intervene, but her father refused to open the door. By Thursday morning, we learnt she had died. Everyone in the neighbourhood was devastated,” the resident said.
Another resident alleged that the teenager had insisted on choosing her own husband, while her father remained determined to marry her to his preferred suitor.
The victim was buried on Thursday at the Abbatoir Cemetery in Katsina metropolis in accordance with Islamic rites.
Police sources said the suspect remains in custody as detectives continue investigations into the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
The spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Sadik Aliyu, confirmed the incident, adding that further details would be made available after the conclusion of the investigation.
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