A Christian family from Plateau State has petitioned the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, accusing the Kano State Hisbah Board of abducting, converting to Islam, and marrying off their 17-year-old daughter. The family of Yusuf Simon, from Pankshin Local Government Area, filed the petition on May 6, 2026, detailing the disappearance of their daughter, Jinkai Simon.
Disappearance and Allegations
According to the petition, Jinkai, a student at St. Bartholomew’s Secondary School in Wusasa, Zaria, went missing on March 9, 2026, after leaving her home for school. At the time, she was living with her eldest sister, Jennifer Simon, in the Kuregu area of Zaria, Kaduna State. The family stated that Jinkai was last seen with a neighbor named Ruqaiya, also a resident of Kuregu.
The petition alleges that Ruqaiya later informed the family that Jinkai had been converted to Islam and taken to Kano, where she was handed over to the Kano State Hisbah Board. The family claims that the Hisbah Board subsequently changed the girl's name, falsified her age to make her appear old enough for consent, and married her off after converting her to Islam.
Details of the Alleged Conversion and Marriage
The petitioner specifically alleged that the Hisbah Board changed Jinkai's name from Jinkai Yusuf to Aisha Sani and married her to one Abdulsamad, after which she now goes by the name Aisha Abdulsamad. Documents attached to the petition indicate that the girl was taken to a Kano State High Court, where she swore an affidavit declaring that she is 19 years old. The parents accused the board of falsifying documents to facilitate the process.
“To perpetrate these illegal acts, the Hisbah Board went as far as forging consent documents purported to have been signed by parents, including causing her to swear to an Affidavit that she is 19 years, contrary to a well-known fact that no person swears to his or her birth except the parents that gave birth to the person,” the petition stated.
Appeal for Investigation and Rescue
The family called on the police commissioner to investigate the matter and ensure Jinkai’s rescue and safe return to her parents. “It is with these in mind that we write that you use your good office and cause an investigation into the matter with a view to returning Miss Jinkai safely,” the petition read. It also referenced the Supreme Court judgment in Lagos State Government vs Abdulkareem (2022) 17 NWLR part 1859, page 287-288, paragraphs H-C, as guidance on the rights and religious freedom of children.
Photographs allegedly showing Jinkai wearing a hijab alongside Ruqaiya and some members of the Kano State Hisbah Board were attached to the petition. The family also submitted documents they described as forged birth certificates and affidavits allegedly used to alter the girl’s age.
Copies of the Petition
The petition was copied to the Inspector General of Police, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State, the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Wusasa in Zaria, Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria, and the Youth Wing of CAN in Kaduna State.
