Forced Marriage Proposal Leads to Teenage Girl’s Hand Severed in Kaduna

A brutal attack resulting in the severing of a hand has been reported in the Goska community of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, following a family’s refusal to accept a forced marriage proposal for their 15-year-old daughter, Endurance Sabon.

According to a family member, the assailants, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, first approached the girl’s mother on Friday while she was working on the family farm, demanding that she hand over Endurance for marriage. Initially dismissing the threat as a joke, the mother continued with her work.

Later that evening, around 6:30 p.m., as the family waited for transportation home, the men ambushed them in a bush. After a search, they identified Endurance, dragged her into the forest, and inflicted a deep wound that severed her hand.

Endurance has been rushed through multiple medical facilities due to the severity of her injuries, first to General Hospital, Kafanchan, then to a private clinic, and finally to Jos University Teaching Hospital for specialized care. The family reports that five of the nine suspected attackers have been arrested and are known to them, as they reside near the farm.

The victim’s family is now urgently appealing to the Kaduna State Government and security agencies for medical support and legal intervention, demanding the prosecution of the suspects and compensation for the grievous harm caused. This attack highlights the persistent threat of violence and forced marriage in the area, compounded by insecurity linked to banditry. The family also disclosed that a brother of the victim was killed and mutilated by herdsmen earlier this year, underscoring a pattern of targeted violence.