By Justine John Dyikuk & Naanlep Dabee
- Christian leaders say persecution “Is hidden in a baby’s cloth.”
- Demand justice for minors forcefully converted to Islam, raped, and married off.
- Claim despite relative peace in Bauchi, Christians are “second-class citizens.”
- Highlight abandonment, trauma faced by victims, their families, and the Church.
- Urge the arrest of the culprits and the protection of victims.
Christian leaders in Bauchi State, North-Eastern Nigeria, have once again highlighted the troubling issue of persecution while calling for urgent action to hold accountable those responsible for using harmful methods to forcibly convert dozens of underage girls in the state to Islam.
In an exclusive interview, the Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bauchi State Chapter, Rev. Matthew Wakili Laslimbo, told Advocatus Africa that “in Bauchi, the greatest challenge we are having is persecution that is hidden in a baby’s cloth.”
Rev. Matthew Wakili Laslimbo, CAN Secretary, Bauchi State.
Describing the forcible abduction and Islamisation of minors as one of the most “Important matters that truly affect us as a Christian community here in Bauchi State,” Rev. Laslimbo disclosed that “As one of the leaders of the Christian community in Bauchi State, there are a series of problems and challenges that we have been encountering as Christians here in the state.”
The clergyman also lamented that “Most of them [the girls] are underage” stressing that “Had it been, they are 18 years above based on the constitution of the country, of our dear land, nobody will force them, nobody will be worried, but for underage, constitutionally, it is not good to force somebody to exercise or to practice any other faith contrary to [their] personal will or ambition, but it is happening here in Bauchi.”
Christians are “second-class citizens” in Bauchi State, despite relative peace
The CAN Secretary said, “For governance and other things, yes, we can say, we are enjoying relative peace because the governor has been proactive to see that peace is going on in the state, but when it comes to the issue of faith, there are other challenges that we are experiencing that is making us like we are second-class citizens in the state especially when it comes to the issue of forceful conversion.”
Favour Onyinechi Jude, one of the victims of forceful Islamisation, was renamed Fatima
In reference to what he termed “our Christian ladies,” the cleric clarified that, “they will lure them, they will entice them, and before you know, they will forcefully, forcefully, not out of their will; they will forcefully abduct them, and then they will go and convert them.”
Citing incidences about the use of substances to get the victims, the clergyman narrated that “Whatever things they do there to change their mindset and their worldview, we don’t know the kind of concoction, but after some days, after the abduction, then you will begin to see the ladies will tend to tilt towards their (Muslims) ambition, and they will say they will deny their [Christian] faith, they will say they want to become Muslims.
The CAN Secretary, however, acknowledged that “Our governor, His Excellency Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State, has been proactive; he is a peace-loving and Christian-friendly governor. He doesn’t want any of such things to happen. If it happens and he hears, whether it is an emir, chief, or village head, or government executive, he will not take it lightly with you.”
He stressed that “That has reduced to the barest minimum some of those atrocities,” while going down memory lane, he stated that “in the past, they would carry [the girls] and go and nobody would talk. Even if you follow the legal procedure, they will still go and cripple all your plans and then dismiss the case to the advantage of the Muslims.”
Further lauding the efforts of Governor Mohammed, the scribe said, “He stands for justice, he balances the equation, irrespective of your faith, he wants to see justice prevail.”
Forceful Islamisation of minors, criminal and unconstitutional
Although the cleric acknowledged that “Some of our traditional rulers love peace,” because “they don’t want any violence to escalate from their axis, and try to calm the situation and stand for justice for whoever finds himself in such situations [of forceful Islamisation of minors],” he blamed some of them for the menace.
He insists that “others are the brains behind this,” explaining that “They are the ones who map out those strategies for those wicked boys who are assigned to carry out such atrocities in society by abducting and making forcible marriage.”
The CAN spokesperson emphasised that “everybody has the right to exercise [their] faith constitutionally.”
Rev. Laslimbo also disclosed that “There are a series of cases that we had and some, to God be the glory, God has delivered them; they are back to the Christian faith, but there are others that are still there in the Islamic faith against their will. These are some of the challenges that we are experiencing.”
Corroborating Laslimbo’s narrative, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of CAN, Bauchi State and Director of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Catechist Samuel James Zabe, told Advocatus Africa that, “I have been engaged in this work for five (5) years, during which we have successfully rescued and received over 200 Christian girls from January to February 2026.”
Catechist Samuel James Zabe, CAN PRO Bauchi State & Director CSN
Zabe, who is responsible for the rescue, protection, and rehabilitation of children who were taken from Christianity to Islam and later returned to the Christian faith, also shared what he has observed with the pattern of abductions and forceful Islamisation of minors.
According to him, “many children—especially young girls—leave the Christian faith due to material inducements, pressure, or deception. In many cases, they are made to deny the name of Jesus Christ.”
Providing examples, the Catechist narrated that “In 2022, for example, we rescued Felicity Ishaku from Kano State. The name that had been forced on her was Maryam. This case involved the Hisbah Board and the Commissioner of Police of Kano State.”
Four weeks ago, Advocatus Africa reported the stories of 16-year-old Aisha, formerly known as Blessing Jeremiah, who was forcefully converted to Islam, married off, and is now pregnant.
Blessing Jeremiah’s Identity Card, now known as Aisha
Equally, there was a similar case of former Miss Favour Onyinechi Jude, a Muslim “convert” renamed Fatima, who was lured by an older Muslim woman in Jos, the Plateau State capital, and brought to Bauchi.
Minors, their families and communities abandoned, left in trauma after forced conversions, marriages and childbearing
Meantime, Rev. Laslimbo claimed that “Some of the strategies are undercover,” while explaining that “based on the facts of the testimonies we received from those that we were able to retrieve back to the Christian faith, they say, they use to to give them some concoctions, and before they know, they will themselves not interested to see any of their well wishers or talk less of their parents. So you see, it is a serious threat to Christians and believers here in Bauchi State.”
He further narrated that: “One of the serious issues that causes crisis or tensions is that after forceful conversion, especially for ladies, they will marry them off to their Muslim brothers without the consent of their parents. Somebody will just stand by her, one of the Islamic scholars, he will say he is now the father. And he will just stand in the gap instead of bringing in the consent of the legitimate father; they will stand for her, and they will get her married.
“Even somebody who has never seen her, who has never had any friendship, talk less of having any courtship before marriage. Until they have made sure she has borne children for them, then they will abandon them anyhow – we have a series of cases.”
The Pastor drew attention to the gravity of the matter when he said, “This issue is very terrible – sometimes, it leads to even rape. They will rape them. So that when they molest, finish with them, and now they will not have any strength again. That sacredness they are trying to protect has been violated, has been intruded. And so you see, they lose confidence, and they are hopeless and at last, so you see, they will just succumb to them and do what is contrary to their belief system and even their faith.
“When it happens, the parents, the community, and the Church will not be happy. For one to see that just within the twinkling of an eye, to see that his daughter has been married to someone that they do not know, from a different faith, is not easy – it traumtise the parents.”
An excerpt from Rev. Laslimbo’s interview
What the Church is doing calls for the government and CSOs to further intervene
Rev. Laslimbo also spoke about the efforts of CAN so far in helping to rescue Christian girls abducted and forced to embrace Islam.
“What we do to stand in the gap is to see that we empathically zoom into action to see how we can navigate in the process so that it will not cause too much violence,” he said.
On being by the side of the law, the CAN representative stated that “Sometimes, we follow due process to calm violence and tension within the society or community by following the legal process and also having some interface with those in question.”
He revealed how the Christian body tries to mitigate the circumstance, stressing that “We try to please the parents to calm them down and to stand in the gap with the government. Sometimes, we follow the legal process, that is, having lawyers or even going to Sharia court to see how we can interface with them to see how we can rescue those children from the hands of those Muslims.”
Rev. Laslimbo sighed, “It is only God that can help us in this matter, but civil society organisations and the government should also look into this matter; otherwise, one day, it would trigger a crisis, if we are not careful.”
The prominent figure in interfaith relations said, “We are praying and seeing how to liaise with the Ja’amatu Nasril Islam official. We are trying to build a relationship with them to see how we can sort out these issues that are coming up, to stop any violence that may erupt as a result of these forceful conversions.
“But you know, faith is faith, even if they say they are willing to allow them to go back to their faith, inwardly, you know, faith is faith.”
On his part, Catechist Zabe provided details about the concrete action CAN is taking to resolve the cases of abduction and forced conversion of Christian children.
“Whenever children return to accept Jesus Christ, we ensure that they are not forced to change their names to Muslim names, they are hidden in secure locations for their safety, and they receive spiritual, legal, and social care,” he said.
He further assured that the Christian body “continues to make significant efforts by engaging legal practitioners and paying legal fees and standing firm in all legal matters related to these cases.”
Zabe also maintained that “On several occasions, we have rescued children from the custody of the Commissioner of Police (CP) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Bauchi State.”
He underscored that “In carrying out this work, we receive support and collaboration from Africa Service and the Association of Christian Lawyers, who assist us in defending the legal and religious rights of these children.”
