THE Katsina State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the death of a teenage girl, identified as Ummul Khair, who allegedly died after being beaten by her father at their residence in Katsina metropolis.
News Point Nigeria reports that the suspect, Kabir Sani, a commercial driver and resident of the Shagari Low-Cost area of Katsina metropolis, was arrested by operatives of the Katsina Central Market Police Division shortly after the incident and is currently in police custody as investigations continue.
Residents told this newspaper that the deceased, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, had repeatedly resisted efforts by her father to marry her off to his preferred suitor, a disagreement they said had created tension within the family.
According to witnesses, the father allegedly began assaulting his daughter on Wednesday.
Neighbours said they became alarmed after hearing the teenager’s cries and repeatedly knocked on the family’s door in an attempt to intervene. However, they alleged that Kabir Sani refused to allow anyone into the house.
The alleged beating reportedly continued into Thursday morning until the teenager became unconscious.
The incident came to light when some of the deceased’s friends visited the house on Thursday morning to accompany her to school.
According to residents, the friends found Ummul Khair lifeless while her father was allegedly preparing her body for burial. They immediately alerted neighbours, who subsequently informed 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,” one witness said.
Another resident alleged that the teenager had insisted on deciding her own future, while her father remained determined to marry her to a man of his choice.
The deceased was buried on Thursday morning at the Abbatoir Cemetery in Katsina metropolis in accordance with Islamic rites.
Police sources confirmed that the suspect remains in custody at the Katsina Central Market Police Division while detectives investigate the circumstances surrounding the teenager’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 provided after the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.