Missing Christian Teen Reportedly Held by Islamic Police in Nigeria, as Family Fears Forced Conversion to Islam.
A 15-year-old Christian girl who went missing in northern Nigeria last December is being held by a state-backed Islamic police force, according to her family and local pastor. They now fear she may be forced to convert to Islam.
Ummi Tambaya, from Kadafa Bari District in Kano state’s Rogo area, disappeared on December 1. After weeks of searching, her pastor, Kabiru Usman, says he learned she is in the custody of the local Kano State Hisbah Board, a religious police unit that enforces Sharia law among the Muslim population.
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“After a long search and relentless efforts, we discovered the girl has been kept under the custody of the Hisbah commander of Rogo, Malam Sani,” Pastor Usman told the media outlet Sahara Reporters. He said the commander claimed Ummi “wants to convert to Islam.”
Attempts by the local police officer and the village district head to secure her release have failed, with the Hisbah commander refusing to let her go, the pastor reported.
The situation has left Ummi’s family desperate. A relative, Shamsu Tambaya, told Sahara Reporters that a young Muslim man, who had repeatedly proposed marriage to Ummi despite her refusals, was behind her abduction. He alleged the kidnappers moved Ummi between locations before handing her to the Hisbah commander.
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“So this Sani later came and told us that the girl was in a place better than our own house,” Tambaya said.
The family strongly denies the Hisbah’s claim that Ummi wishes to convert. They also dispute an assertion from Commander Sani that “human rights people” have taken custody of her.
“And God is my witness, only God knows that this girl has never even known what human rights are in this world,” Tambaya stated. He emphasized that Ummi is not of legal age to change her religion and also lives with a mental health condition, which requires care.
Pastor Usman accused local security agencies of inaction. He said the family reported the case to the police, who then allegedly asked for money.
“In fact, one of their officers in the local government collected up to 20,000 naira [$14], claiming that officers from the headquarters needed it to buy fuel,” Usman said. After the payment, no further steps were taken.
The pastor appealed for urgent help, noting this is not an isolated incident. “We have had five other similar cases of forceful conversions of our girls in the area,” he said.
When contacted by Sahara Reporters, Hisbah Commander Malam Sani asked for the complainant’s name. Upon hearing it was Ummi’s family, he declined to give details and insisted a reporter would have to visit his office in Kano state in person.
The family’s plea is simple. “If the government will look into this matter for us, let them look into it and bring our daughter out for us,” said Shamsu Tambaya. “The family of Ummi are traumatized, we don’t know her present condition.”
Missing Christian Teen Reportedly Held by Islamic Police in Nigeria, as Family Fears Forced Conversion to Islam.
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