The Kano State Hisbah Board has strongly denied allegations linking it to the alleged abduction, forced conversion and secret marriage of a teenage girl, Jinkai Yusif Simon, describing the claims as false, misleading and lacking factual basis.
The allegations, published by Sahara Reporters on March 8, 2026, alleged that the Board took custody of the girl, compelled her to convert to Islam and arranged her marriage despite claims that she was 17 years old.
Reacting to the report, the Hisbah Board dismissed the accusations, insisting that it neither forced the girl to embrace Islam nor arranged any marriage for her.
According to the Board, a fact-finding meeting convened on May 25, 2026, involved security agencies and stakeholders to ascertain the truth surrounding the matter. The meeting reportedly included officers from the Kaduna and Kano State Police Commands, a DSS representative, the girl’s parents and relatives, human rights representatives and their legal counsel, the village head of Kuregu community, as well as officials of the Kano Hisbah Board.
The Board stated that during the meeting, Jinkai voluntarily declared that her decision to embrace Islam was based on personal conviction, citing her admiration for the dressing style of Muslim women and Islamic prayer practices.
According to Hisbah, the girl categorically denied claims of coercion, maintaining that nobody forced her to convert to Islam or marry anyone.
The Board further stated that Jinkai affirmed she was 18 years old based on information from her mother and expressed her desire to adopt the Islamic name “Aisha.”
The Hisbah Board accused Sahara Reporters of publishing what it described as an unverified and one-sided report without seeking clarification from the agency before publication.
It further condemned the publication as irresponsible journalism and alleged a pattern of misleading reportage against the Board.
The agency disclosed that it is considering appropriate action over what it described as repeated dissemination of false and damaging reports.
The statement was signed by the Director of Public Enlightenment of the Kano Hisbah Board, Auwalu Ado Sheshe,
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