An 18-year-old girl, identified as Amina Suleiman, has escaped from her community in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State after her parents allegedly attempted to force her into marriage with a notorious bandit leader identified as Babaye.
The bandit leader reportedly threatened to attack and burn down Mai-zare community if Amina’s family rejected his marriage proposal, forcing her parents to accept his request, collect the bride price and fix a wedding date.
However, Amina escaped to Danmusa town a few days before the scheduled wedding, where she was reportedly rescued by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
The operatives subsequently took her to safety before transferring her to their zonal office in Funtua.
Recounting her ordeal, Amina said she rejected the marriage proposal when her parents informed her that the bandit leader had requested her hand in marriage.
According to her, her parents accepted the proposal out of fear of possible attacks on the community.
“He approached my parents and asked for my hand in marriage, and they accepted his request out of fear. But how can I agree to marry him when he is a bandit? Everyone in the area knows him as a bandit leader. I cannot imagine myself becoming the wife of a known criminal,” she said.
Confirming the incident, the Funtua Zonal Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Abba Sarki, said Babaye had threatened to set the community ablaze if Amina’s family refused to accept his marriage proposal.
Sarki explained that the threats reportedly forced the family to agree to the marriage arrangement, while Amina’s eventual escape prevented the planned wedding from taking place.
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