A seventeen-year-old girl, identified as Aisha, on Sunday set herself ablaze to protest her fiance’s inability to marry her.

Aisha was living in Albarkawa area of Gusau metropolis in Zamfara State where the incident occurred.

She was, however, rescued and the fire put out.

A witness, Aminu Muhammad, told reporters that Aisha decided to commit suicide after she learnt that her fiance has no money to pay her bride price.

Zamfara police spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES. He said the police have commenced an investigation and more details would be provided later.

The fiance, identified as Umar, allegedly refused to present himself to Aisha’s family due to paucity of funds. He was later called upon to pay the bride price and thus marry the teenager.

At a meeting with Aisha’s family, the young man said to be in his early twenties, reportedly told them that he had no money to pay the N17,000 demanded as bride price.

Upon being told of Umar’s position, Aisha brought a gallon of petrol and a matchbox, Mr Muhammad, the ward head of the community, said.

She got herself drenched in the petrol and struck a match stick and was consequently engulfed in flames, he said.

Aisha recovering from the burns

“Even before setting herself ablaze, her younger sister had tried hard to stop her from taking the dangerous decision by flinging the matchbox from her hand. Any time she attempted to strike the matches, the younger sister would stop her until when she became tired of stopping and went away

“The girl then ran outside the house screaming for help until some good Samaritans arrived and put out the raging flames tormenting her.

“The girl’s father said he had no money to take her to the hospital as he could only boast of N750 at the time the incident happened,”Mr Muhammad said.

Aisha is now at home where she is being treated of the serious burns she suffered.