Lawyers Ask DSS To Free 17-Year-Old Christian Girl ‘Forcibly Converted’ To Islam In Bauchi | Sahara Reporters
According to the lawyers, Faith was allegedly converted to Islam by one Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini with the involvement of the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission.
A Jos-based law firm, Wholesome Attorneys, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged continued detention of 17-year-old Faith Barnabas by a Bauchi State government agency despite a Federal High Court order directing that she be released to her mother.
The petition, dated July 9, 2026, was addressed to the Bauchi State Director of the DSS on behalf of Faith’s mother, Mrs. Kumabe Zakari.
The lawyers urged the security agency to intervene and ensure compliance with the July 6 judgment of the Federal High Court, Jos Judicial Division, which they said ordered the immediate release of the teenager to her widowed mother.
The petition is the latest development in a legal dispute surrounding allegations that Faith was forcibly converted to Islam and subsequently taken into state custody without the consent of her mother.
According to the lawyers, Faith was allegedly converted to Islam by one Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini with the involvement of the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission.
They argued that the alleged conversion was carried out without the consent of her parent and violated Section 8 of the Bauchi State Child Protection Law, 2023, which, according to the petition, recognises parental rights concerning a minor’s religion and welfare.
The lawyers further alleged that Faith remains in the custody of the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA), despite court orders directing that she be reunited with her family.
“Faith is being unlawfully held at the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA), despite subsisting court orders directing that she be reunited with her family,” the lawyers said in the petition.
The legal representatives said the controversy began after Faith was allegedly converted in April 2026.
According to the petition, Mrs. Zakari initially regained custody of her daughter and relocated with her to Jos.
The lawyers alleged that on April 30, Hussaini tracked the teenager to Jos and abducted her to an undisclosed location.
The petition stated that the Bauchi State Police Command later located Hussaini and recovered Faith but allegedly transferred the teenager to BASOVCA instead of releasing her to her mother.
The lawyers further alleged that Hussaini, who is facing trial before a Principal District Court in Bauchi on charges bordering on conspiracy and abduction, was allowed access to the teenager while her mother and other relatives were denied similar access.
The solicitors said BASOVCA subsequently failed to comply with an interim order of the Principal District Court directing the release of Faith to her mother.
They said the alleged failure to comply with the order prompted Mrs. Zakari to institute a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court in Jos.
According to the lawyers, the Federal High Court subsequently ruled in favour of the mother and ordered Faith’s immediate release.
The latest petition to the DSS is therefore asking the security agency to intervene and ensure that the judgment is obeyed.
The law firm described the continued custody of the teenager as a matter requiring urgent intervention and expressed concern over what it characterised as a pattern of disregard for judicial orders.
It also said Mrs. Zakari had suffered severe emotional distress over the prolonged separation from her daughter.
The development has also attracted the attention of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Billiri Local Government Area Chapter in Gombe State.
In a statement dated August 2, 2026, signed by its Chairman, Comrade Sarki P. Napthali, the group condemned what it described as the continued disregard for the authority of the court.
YOWICAN expressed concern over the alleged continued custody of the 17-year-old girl despite the July 6 Federal High Court judgment.
The group said the situation constituted an affront to the rule of law and the authority of the Nigerian judiciary.
“Despite the judgment the Federal High Court delivered on July 6 ordering Faith’s immediate release to her mother, the Bauchi State Government and BASOVCA have failed to obey the court’s directive as of August 2,” YOWICAN said.
The organisation argued that the continued custody of the teenager potentially violated constitutional protections relating to personal liberty, family life and freedom of religion.
It also referenced the Child Rights Act and Bauchi State Child Protection Law, as well as international instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
YOWICAN called on the Bauchi State Government and BASOVCA to comply with the Federal High Court judgment and release Faith to her mother.
It also appealed to the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant security agencies to ensure enforcement of the order and the safety of both Faith and her mother.
The group further called for contempt proceedings against any public officials or institutions found to have deliberately disobeyed the court’s directive.
It also demanded the nullification of documents allegedly used to change the teenager’s religion and name.
The controversy followed allegations by Mrs. Zakari that her daughter disappeared in April 2026 and was subsequently declared to have converted to Islam by the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission.
She alleged that Faith was subsequently placed under the custody of BASOVCA rather than being returned to her family.
Details contained in the fundamental rights suit filed before the Federal High Court show that the mother is seeking the immediate release of her daughter, the nullification of documents relating to the alleged conversion and damages over the alleged violation of the teenager’s constitutional rights.
The suit reportedly lists the Bauchi State Government, the Attorney-General, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, BASOVCA, the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission and Sadiq Ahmad Hassan among the respondents.
The case has attracted growing attention among religious freedom advocates and civil society organisations, particularly over questions surrounding children’s rights, parental authority, freedom of religion and compliance with judicial orders.
However, the allegations contained in the petition, court filings and public statements remain subject to judicial determination.
The respondents are entitled to present their respective positions before the court as the legal battle continues.