The Bauchi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki, has refuted the allegations of child abduction leveled against him by his former wife Iklima Manu Soro, describing them as baseless and unfounded.
Reacting to a petition filed by his ex-wife against him at the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hon. Zaki questioned, “How can a father abduct his own biological daughter? Zainab Nuhu Zaki is legally and religiously my child, and I have every right over her.”
The controversy began when Iklima Manu Soro, through her lawyer, Barrister Mwansat M. Hirse, petitioned the IGP, alleging that Hon. Zaki had abandoned his daughter from birth until she was nine years old, only to later forcefully take custody of her without any legal process.
The commissioner told journalists over the weekend that he had been married to Zainab’s mother under Islamic law but was compelled to divorce her due to irreconcilable differences with her family.
He alleged that pressure from his ex-wife’s relatives, particularly two of her brothers, contributed to the breakdown of the marriage.
“I never intended to divorce my wife because we loved each other deeply, but her family’s interference, especially from her two brothers and mother, led to the unfortunate end of our marriage,” he said.
The commissioner acknowledged the efforts of his former father-in-law, Alhaji Manu Soro, and other relatives who had tried to reconcile them.
He said that despite obtaining favorable rulings from three different courts granting him custody of his daughter, he was repeatedly denied access to her.
“Now that her mother has remarried, and Zainab is no longer comfortable living with her grandfather, she has chosen to stay with me and her siblings. What is wrong with that? Yet, some individuals are running around stirring unnecessary trouble,” he added.
Hon. Zaki denied kidnapping or abducting his daughter, emphasising that he was merely enforcing court rulings. He revealed that Zainab is now in a boarding school alongside three of his other daughters, adding, “Nothing can change that.”
He said he is ready to protect his children legally and religiously, urging his former in-laws to stop pursuing what he termed a baseless case.
When contacted over the matter, a senior brother to Zainab’s mother, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, Mansur Manu Soro, said that he would not comment as the issue is now before a court of law.
“I want to confirm that the dispute the commissioner was having over the custody of the child is between him and my sister. I am not a party to it, the issue is now before the court, and any matter that is before a court, I don’t think I can be in a position to discuss it, because the matter is subjudice”, Mansur said.
He said, “I would rather ask you to approach my sister, Ikilima Manu Soro to have an interview with her, who is a party to the case or alternatively, may be to meet with her lawyer to discuss the matter, since the matter is subjudice, I don’t think, I am in a position to discuss it,”
On her part, Iklima Manu Soro, through her lawyer, insisted that the matter was still in litigation. She alleged that the commissioner refused to heed the intervention of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and that the case was currently before the Sharia Court of Appeal.
Barrister Mwansat M. Hirse accused Hon. Zaki of violating a Bauchi State High Court ruling that ordered both parties to maintain the status quo until a final verdict was reached, and further alleged that Hon. Zaki, with the assistance of police operatives, attempted to forcibly take Zainab from her grandfather’s home.
The petition detailed an incident on January 21, 2025, where Hon. Zaki allegedly orchestrated Zainab’s abduction while she was on her way to school. It also accused him of leading a group of thugs to invade the family home of the late Alhaji Manu Soro in December 2024 in an attempt to forcibly take the child, an effort that was thwarted by police intervention.
Following these allegations, the petitioners have urged the IGP to ensure a thorough investigation and take appropriate legal action against Hon. Zaki.
“We respectfully urge you to investigate this matter thoroughly and ensure that the suspect faces the full weight of the law. This will serve as a deterrent to others,” the petition stated.
