A cleric with the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Ganjuwa LGA of Bauchi state, Bawa Buba has raised an alarm over the kidnap and forceful conversion to Islam of his 13-year-old daughter.
Speaking via a petition addressed to the inspector general of police, the National Assembly and the ministry of women affairs, Elder Buba availed that his daughter was kidnapped by her uncle, asking for the appropriate actions to be taken as all his efforts to recover his daughter has been futile.
The letter read:
My name is Elder Bawa Buba, an ordained Elder of Seventh-day Adventist Church Miya, in Ganjuwa LGA of Bauchi state. I write to petition you over the abduction and islamization of my 13 year old daughter Alheri Bawa by her uncle Mal Dauda Buba without my consent and approval.
On the 13th April 2016, my daughter left Miya town to visit her uncles in our family compound in Siri Village. She later followed one of her uncle’s children to to spend the weekend in Bauchi city to spend the weekend.
I thought she was in the village but after three days I sent for her to come back home but was told she has followed her uncle’s children to Bauchi.
I made a called to Dauda Buba, who is a son to my elder brother, to whom my daughter has gone to visit to enquire whether my daughter was with him as reported. To my surprise he confirmed the information and told me that he has also Islamized her and that I should forget about seeing her any soon.
I was shocked and thought it was a joke. I asked him why he didn’t discussed with me and my daughter has never mentioned such an intentions. He told me that I should just understand and allow my daughter remain with him.
This is a big issue because when Christianity and Islam came to our village, I accepted Christianity while other of my brothers accepted Islam. Few are still practicing traditional religion. I was seen as an outcast in the family till date. I believe he did something to my daughter and she’s not in her right sense right now.
My story continues. I went to the village and reported the issue to my brothers who were not pleased with Dauda did. They all expressed displeasure over the issue and call upon Dauda to return my daughter to me but he told them he won’t and that Bauchi State Sharia Commission and other big names are aware of the girl’s change of faith and since I’m doing nothing at the moment I cannot drag with me.
My family members were helpless and advice me to take the case to Hakimin Miya, Alhaji Sulaiman Yakubu.
I reported to Hakimin Miya who went to Bauchi and asked him to return my daughter. He told Hakimi he will but did not after 3 days Hakimi sent his dogari to Bauchi but he could not. Hakimi now told me to take the case further.
I reported to Gajuwa Police Division, the DPO, Mr Tambuwal, told me that it’s not in his jurisdiction that I should report to GRA Bauchi Division. I have no resources at all for these. I asked my church pastor for help since the issue have gone beyond family.
One of my brother gave me the address of Mal Dauda Buba, the abductor my daughter, who work as a security man in GRA, after Nehima Clinic, behind Government House, Bauchi. I went to the house and I was lucky to meet him at the gate. With my church pastor and a deacon in church, we greeted with him. I then asked why he love to bring problem to my family. I told him the pain and trauma he has brought to my family just because he feel I’m poor and will have no one to stand for me while he will use my daughter’s conversion for personal gain among the Muslim elites in the state, especially the state Sharia Commission which he is boasting of in the phone with me.
To my surprise he told me that the issue is no longer family but religious so I should put family aside and accept that fact or I should go to Sharia Commission who are the only ones with power to release my daughter from him.
As we were talking my daughter came out excited to seeing me and wanted to follow me home, I held her hands and asked her to enter the pastor’s car so that we’ll go home. As she was going, Mal Dauda Buba rushed and held unto her hijab and told her that she is irresponsible and she will not follow me unless the Sharia Commission are here since they are aware of her decision.
My daughter shouted “Na FASA, na FASA” that’s “I’m not longer interested”. At this points we started dragging with him over my daughter. Within seconds the place was filled with hoodlums who wanted to turn the issue into a religious crisis. They threatened to burn my pastor’s car. They place became and the tension was high. Mal Dauda was shouting, “this religious issue, not family”, ” He brought his church people”.
At this point some Muslim leaders in the area came and expressed their disapproval towards Mal Dauda’s action as unislamic but he insisted that he will not let her go. They now told my pastor to see how he will get me out of the place because I was no longer in my right mind because of the pains and trauma I have been through and my daughter’s willingness to follow me. I was ready to die with my daughter in my hand.
The hoodlums were increasing in number and the Muslim elders begged my pastor to take me away and that I should not worry, the police will return my daughter to me because Dauda’s action and the boys around is not Islam.
My pastor now dragged me by force into the car and drove away from the scene.
Later on we went to GRA Division Police station and laid our complaints. The police were quick in action at the beginning. They attached a policeman to us who later arrested the man and brought him to the station.
The man was asked to sit behind the counter to explain his side. The man then made a call to the Sharia Commission. They requested to speak with the police. After speaking with the police, the man was ask to come to the front of counter by Inspector Abdulraman Dass who was in charge. The man now begin to speak boldly. We were just watching with surprise.
The station DCO ASP Joseph came out immediately and ask me to go to court and request for the custody of my daughter. That it’s a civil case. My 13 year daughter is abducted, Islamized and forced to stay with a criminal and the police called it a civil case. We were ask by the DCO to hire a lawyer and go to court over my daughter.
Where is the money to file a case? Which court should I go to? Sharia Court? I’m in trauma and pain. All I want is the custody of my daughter Alheri Grace Bawa.
Pls sir, use your office to return my daughter back to me. I’m home in the village back to my wife and remaining 5 children as we weep and wait for justice for me and my family.
