BREAKING: Clergyman raises alarm over serial abduction, forceful conversion of Christians girls to Islam in Yobe state

Christian rights activist and Director General, Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Reverend Kallamu Ali Dikwa has revealed that Christian girls have been abducted and forcefully converted into Islamic religion in Yobe state by individuals, in the guise of Boko Haram and ISWAP....CONTINUE READING

Dikwa said he has already paid visit to Damaturu Emirate Council under the ruler-ship of His Highness Baba Shehu Hashimi II Ibn Umar El-Kanemi and the Chairman of Yobe State Sharia Council, following the serial reports of the incident and discovered that the two Islamic leaders were complacent and not free of the scam.

He lamented that the most disturbing scenario and worrisome was the fact that both the Emir and the Sharia Council Chairman were involved in the unholy act and scam.

Rev. Dikwa, according to text of press conference he personally signed and made available to our correspondent in Kaduna, alleged that even minors Christian girls are among those abducted.

In the statement dated 30th April, 2023, the activist noted with dismay, that Buhari Minister of justices, NASS, European Union Parliament Commission in Nigeria President, United Nation(UN) office Abuja, Executive Governor Yobe State Damaturu and several other relevant bodies who were copied did not take any action till date.

The courageous Borno state indigene, of Kanuri race, lamented that, underaged Christian girls of aged between 17, 16 and even 15 years old were among those abducted by individuals and Islamic leaders in the state, and used government resources and power to intimidate, harassed and molest the parents of the children “When they seek justice for the abduction and violation of their children’s rights.
He was particular about a lady, saying “I was at the Emir’s palace on 29th April, 2023, in Damatutu, the Yobe State capital, on the case of an abduction of a Christian girl by the name, Rejoice Markus, and discovered that there are three other underaged Christian girls abducted by the individuals, either working directly on the orders of the Emir and Chairman of the Sharia Council or given cover and backing by them.

“The Damaturu Emirate Council under the rulership of His Highness Baba Shehu Hashimi II Ibn Umar El-Kanemi and the Chairman of Yobe State Sharia Council has been abducting under aged Christian girls of 17, 16 sometimes 15 years old in the state using government resources and power to intimidate, harass and molest the parents of the children when they seek justice for the abduction and violation of their children’s rights.

“Another issue that we discovered about the Emir Baba Shehu Hashimi II Ibn Umar El-Kanemi was that he was accused of working with Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups between 2013/2014 and as a result of that, he was suspended by the state government but with the intervention of the Sultan of Sokoto, the government returned him back to the throne.

The names of the other victims Christian girls listed are Faith Timothy, Ruth Saleh, Laitu Maina respectively. One would be surprised to find out that when we met with the group that abducted the under aged Christian girls.

“The representatives from the states governments and the authorities who are supposed to contribute to the settlement of the dispute are doing nothing to do so. “This is because they are all Muslims and have clearly taken a side on the issue which makes their neutrality on the case questionable.

“Representatives of the State Commissioner of Police, State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), State Director National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) and State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) are all present in the group but the impression they gave us left us with no choice but to assume that they are collaborating with state authorities to facilitate the continuation of forceful abduction and conversion of our under aged girls into Islam.

“The Islamic Sharia Council chairman used different tactics to intimidate and scared the parents of this children from pursuing justice for the under aged Christian children abducted.

“But we will continue to explore every legal channel to seek justice for the children and their parents.
We therefore draw the attention of the National Human Rights Commission and the International Community to explore every legal action to seeks justice for the abducted children and reunite them with their parents.

“And also the International Community should consider and sanction the Emir of Damaturu, Baba Shehu Hashim and the Chairman of the Yobe State Islamic Sharia Council, the State Commissioner of Police, the state Director, of the Department of State Services, the state Director of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), and the state commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

“This is because the illegal act of abducting and forceful conversion of under aged girls is the same act committed by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists. We still remember the case of the abduction of Chibok girls in 2013 and Leah Sharibu who was among the Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapped but was the only one not released because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.

“The state ministry of Islamic affairs and Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists groups empowerment, Islamic Sharia Council, traditional rulers and other powerful government authorities in Yobe state and across other Northern States use state resources and powers to facilitate and fund individuals, Islamic clerics and groups to force mostly under aged Christians girls into converting to Islam and sometimes marrying them off.

“We all remember the case of Yunusa Yellow, a Kano born man who recklessly kidnapped a 14 years old minor from Bayelsa by the name Ese Oruru, came to Kura Local Government of Kano with her, and with help of Kano emirate and Sharia Commission planned to marry her without the consent of her parent.

“This is one of dozens of cases of systematic violation of Christian’s rights in this country that seriously needs to be looked into. We therefore demand justice for the Christian communities in our country.

Earlier in a text titled: “World Press Conference: 30th April, 2023, made available to journalists, Rev. Dikwa revealed “Continuation of Boko Haram/ISWAP Method of Abducting Christian Girls in Yobe State Facilitated by the Damaturu Emir’s Palace and other Powerful Muslim Authorities in the State.

“We thank God Almighty for given us the opportunity to express to the world our deep concerns about the serial abductions of young Christian girls, sometimes minors and forcefully converting them to Islam by individuals aided by powerful authorities in the state.

“Before going further, it is important to establish that the Christian community in Yobe state are law abiding citizens who respect the God given and constitutional rights of every adult citizen as stated in Section 38 of the 1999 constitution to practice or change any religion of their choice.

“What the constitution and the Christian community frowned upon is the forceful or intimidation of individuals and minors to convert to other religions.

“As evident in our practice, Christians in Yobe state and Nigeria in general do not have the reputation of either forceful or systematic conversion of individuals of Islamic faith to Christianity, but unfortunately the realities on ground does not say the same with our Muslim fellow citizens”, he stated.