A mother, Firdausy Ibrahim, has filed a suit before the Upper Area Court in Mararaba Gurku seeking custody of her six-year-old daughter, whom she claimed has been kept away from her since 2022.
The complainant, a resident of Orange Market in Mararaba, Karu Local Government Area, identified the defendant, Bashir Sulaiman, as her former husband and the father of her two children.
She told the court that their marriage produced a daughter and a son, aged six and five respectively.
According to Ibrahim, the defendant took their daughter away when the child was two years old and has since denied her access to the girl.
She explained that their son was still breastfeeding at the time of their separation.
The complainant said repeated attempts to locate or communicate with her daughter had been unsuccessful, despite several efforts made after the couple’s divorce in January 2024.
“I have not set my eyes on my daughter since 2022. All efforts to see her have proved abortive,” she said.
Ibrahim told the court that she no longer knew where the child was living and expressed concern about her safety and wellbeing.
She further stated that she had not heard her daughter’s voice or seen any recent photographs of her in the past four years.
According to her, the child might no longer recognise her because of the prolonged separation.
The complainant also alleged that the defendant, who she described as a public servant residing in Kano, had used his influence to prevent her from regaining access to the child.
“I have filed so many reports and been to his office to report the matter, but he has used his connections to stop me from having access to my daughter,” she alleged.
Ibrahim further accused the defendant of neglecting his financial responsibilities towards their son, claiming that he had failed to provide for the child’s school fees, feeding and healthcare.
She urged the court to grant her custody of both children, compel the defendant to return their daughter, Fatima, and order him to support the welfare and education of the children.
Counsel to the defendant, Gidado Mahmud, however, asked the court to disregard the allegations made by the complainant.
The presiding judge, Mohammed Yakubu, adjourned the case until June 24 for hearing.
