BY VICTOR BUORO – The long arm of the law has eventually caught up with a 62-year-old man in Kano State who reportedly chained and locked up his 16-year-old daughter, Fatima in solitary confinement for daring to reject a forced marriage he contracted for her.
This followed the rescue moves initiated and carried out by the Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), when they swung into action and arrested the suspect, one Muhammad Ujujud, who resides at Rinji village in Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State.
Ujujud is said to have allegedly locked 16year old as part of punishment for daring to refuse a husband procured for her without her consent.
Confirming the incident, the Kano State head of NAPTIP, Malam Shehu Umar, described the development as most unfortunate and unacceptable, adding that the suspect has been arrested and in detention while investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Forefront News gathered that Ujujud also locked up his son, Shehu who challenged his action in a different room in his house, a development that led to the young boy’s death having been unable to suffer the detention treatment for days without food.
A dependable source from the area, who leaked the unfortunate incidents to journalists on condition of anonymity, said the suspect (Ujujud) is notorious for carrying out severe punishment on members of this family, adding that he is dreaded in the community.
The source further said; “Malam Ujujud hardly feed his detained daughter and son. He hardly gave them food to eat. They sleep and defecate in the same room he detained them.
NAPTIP officials that carried out the rescue mission took 16year old Binta, who look pale and ill to a private hospital in Kano, where she is receiving treatments.
One of the sons (name withheld) of Ujudud, who was lucky to had escaped his father’s torture and detention chamber, said his late brother Shehu starved to death in his father’s cell, adding that his mother died some few years ago while his father is presently living with his step mother.
