Kaltume Ibrahim Mai-Kaji of Sabuwar Kaura village in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State and Aminu Ali of Jidawa village in
Jigawa State had spent several years dating before they eventually got married in 2013 when she clocked 15 years.
Surprisingly, after they got married, Kaltume refused to allow her husband have sexual affairs with her. Anytime she was invited to bed she would decline. Ali had severally complained about his wife’s attitude to his parents, but each time he reported the case he would be told to exercise patience.
Ali’s parents always told him that such attitude was normal, especially to young couples like them. He was always advised to intensify prayers and give his wife sometime to adapt to her new environment and social status.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that in his quest to solve the problem, Ali had tried several herbs on his wife, but all in vein. Kaltume never slept with her husband throughout her stay with him.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Ali sought the intervention of his father-in-law, Mallam Ibrahim Mai-Kaji, believing that he would find a lasting solution.
Mai-Kaji, therefore, asked his son-in-law to send Kaltume back home. When she returned home, many herbal medicines were administered on her, but there was no improvement.
Finally, her father invited one Mallam Shu’aibu Wanzam, a local barber from Agaji village, to circumcise Kultume, thinking that it would solve her problem. Unfortunately, in the process of circumcizing her, Wanzam removed a portion of her private part. As a result of this, she can no longer urinate like a normal person. The 19-year-old Kaltume currently urinates through a tube that was carefully strapped above her sex organ, which medical doctors confirmed was completely damaged.
Speaking to our correspondent, Kaltume’s father said: “When my daughter was sent back by her husband, I also tried herbal medicines in my effort to solve her problem. I thought a local barber could help us; hence I invited Shu’aibu Wanzam to see if the problem was related to his job.
“I told him to treat her if he could or we would try another means of solving the problem. After he checked her, Wanzam said he could treat her and I gave him the go-ahead. I did that to save my daughter’s marriage because my son-in-law had been to several places searching for solution.
“Wanzam and his friend came to my house and did their work, but unfortunately, since then, the girl has been unable to urinate through the normal process. It is now three years and some months. We have been to Doguwa Hospital and the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), but there has not been any improvement.
“A tube was attached to her urinary tract, which is being changed every two weeks. We visit Doguwa Hospital every two weeks to replace the tube.”
Responding to the allegation of forceful marriage, Mai-Kaji said he did not marry his daughter off against her wish, adding that she loved her husband prior to their marriage and still loves him.
“Before she got married, Kaltume was in the habit of rejecting every suitor that approached her. Whenever her mother asked her to talk to them she would say no. She would say there was no need to deceive the person if she would not marry him.
“At last, she chose her current husband and stopped collecting gifts from other men or talking to anyone as a suitor. Anytime she was offered a gift she would turn it down because she already had a suitor. Till today, Kaltume loves her husband,’’ he said.
Asked if she had a peculiar sickness that might have made her reject sexual advances from her husband, Mai-Kaji said he was not aware of any. “As a child she had never been sick for more than three days, neither did she show any sign of mental disorder, either before or after her marriage. We have not noticed any defect in her.
“Because of her condition I have not been able to sleep. My wish is to see my daughter out of her present condition. I am seriously worried about her situation. I feel very sad whenever I see her in that condition. But I will continue to pray for her. I do not have many children and don’t know what to do,’’ he said.
Sympathising with Mai-Kaji over the condition of his daughter, Mallam Ibrahim Sallau Sabuwar Kaura, his neighbour, said, “Mai-Kaji has been up and doing to save his daughter. He has spent a lot on her, yet there is no improvement. It is really pathetic.”
When the case was reported to the Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi ll, he summoned the affected family and the ward head of the area to his palace on Monday, March 27, 2017. When Kaltume’s ordeal was narrated to him, the emir wept and cursed those who contributed to her condition.
Sanusi also sacked the ward head for allowing genital mutilation in his area of jurisdiction. “I will not allow this barbaric practice to continue in Kano under my watch. Any traditional ruler who allows this to happen in his area will lose his title and anybody who contributed to it would be punished accordingly.
“I have directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest Wanzam and whoever had a hand in this heinous crime. They will be punished. If the commissioner fails to do something, I will personally petition the Inspector-General of Police on this matter. I will follow Kaltume’s case to its logical conclusion. I will not let this matter to be carpeted,” the emir warned.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kano State command, DSP Magaji Musa Majia, said Kaltume’s father had been arrested while efforts were being made to arrest the local barber.
Majia said Kaltume was taken to the hospital for medical examination and advice on what should be done to save her life. “We will do our best to save her life. At the same time we will not relent in our efforts to arrest the local barber that mutilated her,” he assured.
