A widower, Mubarak Hussaini, on Tuesday dragged his late wife’s mother, Farida Ismail, before a Shari’a court sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna State, for allegedly pushing his three-year-old daughter to beg for alms.

Mr Hussaini’s counsel, Musa Haruna, told the court that his client’s mother-in-law told people that the child is an orphan to cause others to elicit pity for her and get monetary support.

He said, “She has no means of taking care of the child because she is a widow with 10 children under her care. Sometimes she leaves the child at home with other children who also need care in the name of going out to look for food.’’

He prayed the court to consider the welfare of the child and grant custody of the child to Mr Hussaini or his own mother.

In her defence, the defendant denied taking her granddaughter with her to beg for alms.

She said, “I receive gifts from people as goodwill. I am a businesswoman who goes to different markets to get goods. Most times I travel for my business. He (Hussaini) voluntarily gave her the child to me to take care of after my daughter died.’’

She prayed the court to allow her to continue taking care of the child until she’s mature, saying she would hand her over to her father when she’s mature.

She said, “I am very close to her. I’m pleading with the court to order her return to me because I have been sick since her father took her away.’’

(NAN)