…Court adjourns Bauchi Shari’ah Commission’s forceful conversion case, custody of Christian Minor to August
Bauchi State, Nigeria’s most notorious ground for forced Islamic conversions, is now facing legal action regarding the unlawful conversion and custody of a 17-year-old Christian minor, Miss Faith Barnabas.
This step by the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission is raising serious concerns about religious freedom and the rights of minors.
The applicant sued the Bauchi State government, the Attorney General of Bauchi State, the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission, the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA), the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command, and one Sadiq Ahmad Hassan, the very boy said to have abducted the young Christian minor, as both defendants in the matter.
The case with suit number, ‘SUIT NO: FHC/J/CS/66/2026″ before His Lordship, Honourable Justice D.V. Agishi of the Federal High Court, Jos Division, came up for hearing on Wednesday, 15th, 2026, where the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP) of Bauchi State, M.U. Usman appeared for the Attorney General, the Shari’ah Commission, and the Bauchi State Government.
Defendants had yet to comply with an interim order
The agency in the custody of the minor was not represented. Counsel to the applicant raised an observation before the Court that the defendants had yet to comply with an interim order of the Court mandating their release of the minor in their custody with immediate effect. However, Counsel to the defendants denied any knowledge of a Court order served on them.
The Court, in its wisdom, noted that since the Agency is also of the government, ordered that counsel to the defendants should be served with the said order, and the suit was adjourned to Tuesday, 21/7/26, for hearing.
Recall that the mother of the Christian minor, Mrs. Kumabe Barnabas Zakari, through her counsel, A.D Nyam, Esq earlier filed an application for an order for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the young girl who is alleged to have been held in custody of the Bauchi State Sharia Commission.
Advocatus Africa gathered that an ex parte motion dated the 29th day of June, 2026, was filed on the 30th day of June, 2026, wherein the Applicant prays for ‘AN INTERIM ORDER OF THE HONOURABLE COURT for the immediate release of the minor ‘, but was not adhered to by the State Government’s Shari’ah Commission.
Interim Order of the Honourable Court
The Court document reads, “Interim Order of the Honourable Court for the immediate production and unconditional release of Miss FAITH BARNABAS, a child, forthwith, from the custody of the 4th and 7 Respondents to City Ministries Gidan Bege a reputable Christian Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) based on Jos, Plateau State who is readily available to accommodate, care and guide the Applicant in practising her primary faith(Christianity), pending the determination of the origination Motion.
“AND FOR SUCH further or other order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem necessary to make in the circumstances of this case,” reads the court document
“AFTER READING the motion paper, the grounds for the application, the Forty Six(46) paragraphs affidavit deposed to by the Applicant, Four(4) annexures marked as Exhibits ‘A’ to ‘D’ and the Written Address in support of the application AND AFTER HEARING A.D Nyam Esq, Counsel to the Applicant moved the motion praying the Court to grant the reliefs sought.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:- THAT AN INTERIM ORDER is hereby made for the immediate production and unconditional release of Miss FAITH BARNABAS, child, from the custody of the 4th and 7th Respondents, forthwith, into the custody of the Applicant, her biological mother, who by law has the statutory right and primary responsibility.” *Conclusion*
A few months ago, Advocatus Africa reported a disturbing trend of forceful conversion of Christian girls, including minors, into Islam and, in some cases, the outright marrying off of the ladies without any recourse to their biological parents, using Shari’ah Law as a tool for the forceful Islamisation of Christian girls.
Conclusion
Earlier efforts by her counsel to restore her fundamental human rights failed as they were ignored by the Bauchi authorities.
While the Bauchi State First Lady, Her Excellency Hajiya (Dr) Aishatu Bala, condemned the recently carried Islamic teenagers marriage describing it as illegal and faulted poor parenting and against the values of their people, but has not say anything about the forceful conversion and marriage of Christian girls where in some cases some were minors, which reflects a double standard.
