The Stefanos foundation in conjunction with the Christian Association of Association Kaduna state has called on the federal government and National Assembly to intervene on the release of abducted forceful married Christian girls in the country.
The group recalled that the underage marriage remain a global issue clogging development of many countries, as at February 2024 Nigeria ranked 3rd among countries with highest incidence of under-aged married.
During the press conference in Abuja yesterday, the Director of Administration Stefanos Foundation, Abraham Hassan said that on the 12th of May 2024, we received a report from Ungwan Sarki Hausawa village of Giwa local government area of Kaduna State about a 16-year old girl by name Godiya who hails from Christians families was abducted by muslims brother without the consent of her parents.
He reiterated that the statistics for underage marriage of the girl child in Nigeria is at 30.3% while that of the boy child is 1.6%. This goes without saying that the child is the major recipient of this plague which has persistently crippled gender-inclusivity while contributing to patriarchy in the country.
Hassan, noted that in 2017, 13 year-old SS1 student Hauwa Dadi was abducted in Gashuwa Yobe state who was under pleasure from a boy to married her. One day after schools she fainted while on an errand and the next place she woke in was in the emir Gashuwa palace. The case went viral as Stefanos foundation made public the attempt at kidnapping and married off girls and within 3 days she was release. Although Hauwa father died after suffering persecution as a christian, the young girl is now in the university sponsored by Stefanos foundation.
He said, the above that molestation abuse and abduction, forceful conversion and married of adolescence is not limited to Godiya as many other unreported case of molestation of this nature abound in the northern part of the country.
“Similarly in March 2026, an teenager was abducted from her Bayelsa home and move from Kano for forceful married we begin to ask why they always look for ways to cut our educations girls education despite pushing our voices in supporting girls education in the society.”
” He further stated that Nigerian constitution which is the fountain of all laws and customs guarantees the right of every citizens to practice any religion of their choice. It however sad that the muslim in Northern Nigerian have brazenly treated this hallowed provision of the constitutions with distain.”
” He said, we called on the federal government and national assembly and security to ensure the protection and emancipation of the youth girls in Northern part of the country is protected and guaranteed rights of the childs and promote gender inclusivity, eduction in the country.”
In his part, Bloc leader, CAN Kaduna State chapter, Rev. Bulus Ibrahim Daga, said the menace of of forceful married, adoption and conversation of christian girls in the Northern part is real and is on the rise without any regards to the constitution of country.
“He noted that many Christian daughters are abducted in many parts of the Northern zones, they are forceful converted against their wish and wished of their parents which actually bridge their fundamental rights. It bridge their rights for freedom and also free association as bona fide citizens of the country”
He further stated, ” the cases of forceful marriages are on the rise in the Northern part of the country. We have many cases on the ground right now as follow, Miss Godiya Musa from Giwa LGA, which the Christian Association Kaduna state chapter is aware of 5 years ago 3 girls from same Giwa LGA, were abducted forcefully married and converted to Islam without the consent of their parents.”
” He said, my daughter too was kidnapped when she was 13 years old that was in 2021, all attempts to secure her release proved abortive. Since l could not raise the ramson on time, on the day the ramson was paid she was raped by her abductors before being release.”
We appeal federal government and relevant bodies the Nigeria Police force and National Assembly and others institutions to intervened on this matter as matter urgent make to release all our abducted girls back their parents and love ones and prosecute those involved on these evil act.
