Charity Uzoechima, the 26-year-old girl who converted
to Islam and kept in the palace of Etsu Nupe, Alhaji
Yahaya Abubakar, for “safety” for three months, is in the
news again.
Her fate and whereabouts since July last year when she
was brought to Government House, Minna, Niger State
for reconciliation with her parents had not been known
until days ago when she was said to be prepared and
almost given out in marriage to a Muslim lawyer without
the consent of her parents.
The last time she was brought to public glare was July
3,2013 in Government House, Minna.
She was not alone on that day. Her parents, Pastor and
Mrs. Raymond Uzoechima; their lawyer, Femi Ikotun; the
National Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN), Dr. Musa Atake; CAN Chairman, Niger State, Rev.
Musa Dada; and immediate past governor of the state,
Engr, Abdulkadir Kure; among other stake holders, were
at the peace meeting held at Government House, Minna
on that day with the deputy governor, Alhaji Musa Ibeto,
presiding.
The purpose was to reconcile Charity with her family. But
the reconcilation failed due to a pending court case that
compelled Charity to remain in Etsu Nupe’s palace until
the case was discontinued.
The deputy governor said after the meeting that the
issue at hand was not religion but how to settle the case
out of court amicably.
“We believe that the issue at hand is not the religion
Charity should practice but how the case should be
settled out of court amicably and get the girl reconciled
with her parents,” Ibeto remarked. Charity’s father,
Uzoechima, had filed a case on July 15, 2013, praying the
court to bar the Sharia Court from entertaining a suit
filed by his daughter on the grounds that the court
lacked competence and jurisdiction to hear the suit.
Charity, now Aisha, had dragged her father to Sharia
court, Bida, seeking its protection from the father over
her conversion from Christianity to Islam in order to
exercise her new faith without hindrance.
Meanwhile, the lady was withdrawn from the Etsu
Nupe’s palace and kept in the deputy governor’s house
where she was said to have been residing.
However, arrangements were said to have been made
to give Charity out in marriage according to Islamic
injunctions to a Muslim brother, said to be a lawyer.
The secret plan was allegedly halted only hours to the
wedding when a letter was written by the National body
of CAN to its Niger State wing to investigate the matter
and make its findings available to appropriate quaters.
Niger State CAN Chairman, Dada, was said to have
alerted the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs and
the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice on
the development, seeking to know what led to the
Charity’s proposed wedding especially without the
consent of the stakeholders especially the parents of the
lady.
The Commissioners, it was gathered, could not give
satisfactory answer and the matter was taken before the
deputy governor, Ibeto, for intervention.
The stage was allegedly set for the wedding on a Friday
with Imams and other Muslim clerics in attendance when
Governor. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, after being consulted
about the development ordered that the wedding should
be aborted.
The aborted marriage has generated questions from
different stake holders. What is the fate of Charity? For
how long would she remain in “custody”? would have
collected her dowry and on whose permission would
have the marriage been contracted?
Charity was admitted to Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger
State in 2012 to read public administration but converted
to Islam along the line and could not accomplish her
academic pursuit.
In an exclusive telephone conversation with her last year
on the issue, the lady called on Nigerians to leave her
alone to practice the religion of her choice, pointing out
that nobody forced her into the religion and she should
be left to carry her cross alone.
“I did it on my own. Nobody forced me into it. Am I the
first to convert to Muslim in Nigeria?
I know it is people that are pushing my father and I am
praying for him and other members of my family to know
that this is the right religion,” she remarked.
On whether she would like to follow her father back
home if the matter was amicably settled, Charity insisted
that she was afraid going back with the parents for fear
of being killed.
“I am not going back to my father because of his actions.
He had been threatening me. But at my age, I am free
to practice any religion of my choice and so, I should be
left to decide,” Charity declared.
Efforts to get in touch with her parents on the latest
development proved abortive.
Our correspondent reliably gathered that the state
government may be forced to contract the wedding
between Charity and her groom with or without the
consent of her parents and family members.

Hypocrisy. Mxm.

If d lady in question is above 20 pls let her av her freewill

hmmm..dis one strong o

its her life. she should practice whatever religion she chooses

Hmmm :smh4her::

She don drink fanta . Nupe muslim men always entice despirate gals with suya, big cars(borrowed} and few cash. They go to the various campuses and do these and some gals fall prey to these ..and when they extral like you ,they'll jazz ur drink and ''that's all" she's just a victim of same. What a pity... She now thinks her father who had sent her to school from kidjagatin to primary,to sec sch and down to higher institution will now want to kill her just lyk that?? Haba!! Something is fishy...
I just hope she'll get herself b4 e too late.

ebenice: Hmmm :smh4her::

She don drink fanta . Nupe muslim men always entice despirate gals with suya, big cars(borrowed} and few cash. They go to the various campuses and do these and some gals fall prey to these ..and when they extral like you ,they'll jazz ur drink and ''that's all" she's just a victim of same. What a pity... She now thinks her father who had sent her to school from kidjagatin to primary,to sec sch and down to higher institution will now want to kill her just lyk that?? Haba!! Something is fishy...
I just hope she'll get herself b4 e too late.

STFU! hypocrite.
If it was a Muslim converting to Christianity would you have said all these?

SHE is not a christain before, she is just a church goer. and moreover christainity is not a religion, christainity is a life which we the christain live. one day she will still find another reason saying muslim is not what i need again. hmmmmm