By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
What could be regarded as extreme cases of abduction, abuse and forceful conversion of Christian underaged girls into Islam in Borno and Yobe states, North East Nigeria has been exposed.
Similarly, an age long severe discrimination marginalization against Christian Judges in Borno State has also been uncovered.
According to information so far extracted from family members, Christian leader, lawyer and activist of Borno and Yobe states, the number of those abducted and forcefully converted to Islam and married out without the consent of their biological parents are on the increase. The situations has also degenerated uncontrollably in the aforementioned states.
Sadly, parents of those who attempted to challenged the ugly trend in protests were reportedly made to face severe government wrath by using bodies such as Islamic Religious Affairs Ministry, Islamic Jihad organisations, Sharia Law, as well as Sharia Jihad terrorism courts in the states, to harass and intimidate the parents from further protest.
The most recent cases include that of Four (4) Christian girls abducted from Gadaga district Garin-Goge village in Fika LGA of Yobe state by Muslim youths allegedly recruited for the purpose.
In particular, top on the news of recently adopted christian girls have been identified as Cecilia Mathias, Veronica Mathias, Linda Mathias and Jara David respectively.
A family member of one of the victims, Musa Mathias Bayaro, who spoke to DAYBREAK NIGERIA, confirmed the development, lamenting that their Father, Mathias Bayaro died in 2019 when the first incident of abduction of their younger sister took place.
Musa also disclosed that one of their sisters was again abducted in March 2024 by same body, adding that up till date the lady is yet to be rescued by his parents and relatives despite writing to the police authorities on the abduction of their sister.
The first of their sister’s incident happened when she was left at home because she was not feeling fine, when an Islamic Religious Affairs group came and abducted her. He said while they were fighting for her release with their traditional ruler, Idris Abaji, they later moved to Yobe state police CID and reported the case and nothing has been done.
“I believe government, our Governor is aware of all these things, because he use to sponsor them”, he alleges.
He said he reached this conclusion that the Governor is behind it because according to him: “You know they’ve their group, called Islamic Religious Affairs ministry (AKA Moral). So, the moment they take your person to them you’ve no power.
“You fight it with the police nothing happens. And even this one we’re fighting now, we’ve written to the IGP office 3 times and no action was taken. This incident of abduction happened in March 2024 while the first one happened in 2019.
“Two of my sisters, one of our neighbor’s daughter and one of our uncle daughter’s abductions happened in 2019. Then one of our neighbor’s daughter happened in 2023, in Goge village, our village, in Fika LGA. No Muslims girl has been abducted”, he lamented.
On whether it could be bandits or terror group that came for their abductions, Musa disagreed sharply, saying “They’re not bandits. The recent one we’re fighting now happened on a Sunday; we went to the police station, after leaving there, one of the traditional rulers sent his messenger to called my mother almost after 10-11 pm in the night.
“When my mother went there, he told her that her daughter is in Damaturu with Muslims religious affairs. If you want to see your daughter you people should go there. So, I took money from one of my older sisters and told a lawyer and one of my uncles to go there”, he said.
Musa who spoke extensively said “When they went there, the commissioner of the religious affairs ministry said no, they didn’t bring any girl to them this year. After that when we write to Abuja, to IGP office, when they ask the commissioner of police they said yes the girl is with them.
“I tried again, we write to the IGP, I’m waiting for their feedback now.
“My Dad died in 2019 after that first abduction happen”, he narrated.
A letter addressed to IGP, Abuja office and made available to our reporter is titled: Complaint on Abduction Against a Group call Islamic Religious Affairs (AKA Moral), and one Mallam IDI, district head of Shembre, Fika LGA of Yobe state”, and was signed by Maryamu Mathias for Mathias Bayaro’s family with GSM contact number: 09122840544.
He also stated that “We’ve spent more than two million naira. It is my either sister Maryamu Mathias doing the fighting with her money.
Also contacted, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) FIKA LGA of Yobe State branch chairman ,Pastor Mamza John Wulfu, also confirmed the abductions, saying legitimate efforts were made to rescue and reconciled some of the abducted girls with their parents but to no avail.
He also revealed that while some girls agreed to marry their abductors, parents of some were paid bride price and were seen coming and going back to and from their parents and Muslims husband home at will for visit, adding that for the current one, the brother shunned CAN on ground that their efforts were not good enough or yielding results.
Allegation of marginalization in appointment of christian judges
On the allegation of complete absence of a single judge of Christian extraction under the current administration of Governor Umaru Zulum in Borno state, a lawyer working with the state government confirmed the allegation, saying theren is none for now.
The lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity said there were sizeable number of them in Borno government service previously but left based on conditions of service by retiring after completing their mandatory years of age as civil servants or otherwise.
According to him, Judges appointments are based on political participation and not gotten on platter of gold.
While he acknowledged that appointment of judges are matters of government policy, the lawyer explained that qualification is a constitutional issue, adding that once your are called to the Bar, it gives you automatic leverage to be qualified to be a judge.
While he admitted that there were appointments of judges in the state recently, he said “I did not know of any Christians that applied”.
Earlier, an investigation conducted, compiled and made available to our correspondent by a Borno Born activist and Director General Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, revealed that the worst place to live by Christians in Nigeria is the far north, particularly Borno and Yobe states.
Rev. Ali Musa Dikwa’s elaborate statement made available to newsmen is titled: “The Abduction of Christian Girls, Persecution and Injustices experienced by Nigerian Christians in The Far North of Borno and Yobe states”.
“The worst place for Christians to live in Nigeria is the far northern states, particularly Borno and Yobe states. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs created by the Borno state governments has assisted the Boko -Harm and ISWAP in the abduction of under aged Christian girls from the ages of 13 to 17.
“These abducted girls are then forcefully converted to Islam and married off without the consent of their parents. Whenever the parents of these under aged girls protest, the so-called Ministry of Islamic religious Affairs will use the Islamic Jihad terrorism Sharia Law at the Sharia Jihad terrorism courts in the states to harass and intimidate them from further protest.
“The Ministry of Islamic jihad Affairs in Yobe state under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni has taken over the jihad work of Boko-Haram and ISWAP. The Yobe state Ministry of Islamic Jihad Affairs recruited and is paying Muslim youths in Yobe State for the continuous abduction of under aged Christian girls.
“Four (4) Christian girls were abducted from Gadaga district Garin-Goge village in Fika LGA Yobe state by the recruited Muslims youths. The girls are: Cecilia Mathias, Veronica Mathias
Linda Mathias and Jara David.
“After the 2015 general elections when former president Mohammadu Buhari took over from former president Goodluck Jonathan, the Muslim politicians, Islamic clerics from Borno and Yobe states re-strategized for Boko-Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups to come out from the bush/forest in the name of repentance.
“They were urged to change the ways of their operations and with the help of the two (2) governors through the ministry of Islamic jihad affairs, they were sponsored for the abduction of Christian girls.
Ministry of Islamic affairs in Damaturu the Yobe state capital has a committee for abduction of Christian girls.
“The chairman of the Islamic jihad sharia Law is also the chairman for the abduction of under aged Christian girls.
“The committee for the abduction of Christian girls have a representative of the commissioner of police from the police command, DSS command, Civil Defence, NABTIP, Road Safety and VIO.
“The committee’s office is at the Damaturu emir’s palace
In the year 2023, two (2) under aged Christian girls Rejoice Markus and Faith Timothy were abducted and kept at the emir’s palace.
“When we visited the committee we discovered that there are other eight (8) abducted Christian girls also kept at the emir’s palace.
“I challenged the committee and the emir of Damaturu that they were working hand in hand with the Boko-Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups by doing their jihad bidden by the continuous abduction and keeping these under aged Christian girls for the purpose of converting and marrying them off.
“They promised that they’re going to kill me, they even organised their Muslim youths at the palace to attack me but they didn’t succeed”, he stated.
He also noted that “In Borno state from 1999 to 2005, Christians have over six (6) High court judges , but in 2005 when a Muslim chief judge retired the next two (2) in hierarchy were Christian while the third and fourth are Muslims (but not of Kanuri tribe) and the fifth and sixth were Christians .
“The then governor of Borno state Ali Modu Shefiff picked and appointed a junior seven (7) judge from hierarchy, justice Kashim Zanna as Chief Judge of the state the his seniors were provoked and had to find their ways to Federal High Courts and left the state for them.
“In 2015 former governor and present vice president Kashim Shettima recruited judges but all the Christians that applied were disqualified because of their Christian faith.
“In 2022 governor Babagana Umara Zulum recruited judges also, all the Christians that applied were disqualified because they are Christians.
“As i am writing this write up we don’t have a single Christian judge in Borno state and the other state government ministries in the state are facing the same thing where junior Muslim staff were promoted above senior Christians staff both in the state and the federal government agencies.
“Particularly University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and University of Maiduguri itself turned into Kanuri and Islamic properties in the state.
“We are urging Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take action to correct this attitude of executive power by these terrorist minded Muslim politicians before it will become too late. Enough is enough”, he appealed.
While all efforts made to talk with Borno state information commissioner was frustrated, his written reply deleted, attempt made to see Islamic religious affairs commissioner Yobe state, before the time of filling this reports failed, but still been made to hear their side.
