The Katsina State Police Command has launched an investigation into the death of a teenage girl, Ummul Khair, who allegedly died after being beaten by her father during a dispute over an arranged marriage.
The suspect, Kabir Sani, a commercial driver and resident of the Shagari Low Cost area of Katsina metropolis, has been arrested by operatives of the Katsina Central Market Police Division.
Residents said the deceased, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, had repeatedly resisted efforts by her father to marry her to a man he had chosen, a disagreement that had reportedly caused tension within the family.
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According to eyewitnesses, the father allegedly began assaulting the teenager on Wednesday.
Neighbours said they became alarmed after hearing her cries throughout the night and repeatedly knocked on the door in an attempt to intervene, but the suspect allegedly refused to let anyone into the house.
The alleged assault reportedly continued until Thursday morning, when the teenager became unconscious.
The incident came to light after some of the deceased’s friends visited the house on Thursday morning to accompany her to school.
They reportedly found her lifeless while her father was preparing her body for burial and immediately alerted neighbours, who notified the police.
“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,” a resident said.
Another neighbour alleged that the teenager wanted to choose her own future, while her father remained determined to marry her to his preferred suitor.
The deceased was buried on Thursday at the Abbatoir Cemetery in Katsina metropolis in accordance with Islamic rites.
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Police sources confirmed that Kabir Sani remains in custody at the Katsina Central Market Police Division as detectives investigate the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Sadik Aliyu, confirmed awareness of the incident but said further details would be released after the ongoing investigation is concluded.
