Kano Child Bride Who Killed Husband is Free at Last

We have been following this case for over a year now, and we’re so glad for this happy ending!

You will recall that murder charges were leveled against 14-year-old child bride, Wasila Umaru, who killed her 35-year-old husband because she did not love him and was forced to marry him. The last we heard about the cases was that the murder charges had been dropped.

And now, it’s official. She is free!

According to ThisDay:

A Kano High Court sitting in Gezawa on Tuedsay  set free Wasila, 14, accused of killing her husband and three others in April last year.

In a landmark judgment, Justice Mohammed Yahaya ruled that the court had no option than to comply with the application that originated from the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice that sought to terminate the case.

“I have no alternative than to pronounce according to the law that the application for nolle proseque is hereby granted,” the presiding judge said.

Consequently, Justice Yahaya declared that Wasila was discharged.

The verdict threw the courtroom into wild jubilation, as hordes of human rights activists were present.

Earlier, the prosecution’s lawyer, Lamido Abba Soron Dinki, tendered an application dated May 20th that was signed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, urging the court to discontinue with the high profile murder case which has attracted global attention.

Dinki said: “In the nolle proseque is a delegation of power by the Commissioner for Justice to me and I hereby submit the notification and the instrument to the court.”

The Kano State Government had asked that the case be dismissed because she was a minor who had been forcibly married. The girl is to be freed from detention following the ruling.