Kano Patriotic Development Forum (KPDF) has condemned the current trend of abducting, trafficking and conversion of children of northern extraction to Christianity, the PRO of the group, Mohammed Shehu Lamido alleged.
Verity News gathered that this trend is prevalent in Sokoto and Kano axis. Citing recent examples, Lamido said: “On the 14th of May 2024, a distressing incident unfolded as seven children were abducted from Sokoto state and transported to Abuja and Jos.
“This heinous act involved the victims being forcibly separated from their families and also subjected to various forms of exploitation which included physical torture, psychological hardships, and abuse”
The group further alleged that the seven children abducted, were “reportedly sold, while others were coerced into changing their religion and attending church services, had their identities altered as part of the perpetrators’ sinister agenda. The vulnerable young victims included even a breastfeeding infant who can’t mention his name”
Explaining further Lamido said: “In a viral video and eyewitness accounts, the children were taken away from their school in Sokoto after being sent home for non-payment of PTA fees. A man named Bala, who claimed to be the father of one of the children, deceived their grandmother into transferring them to a new school, where they were then taken to Abuja and Jos.
“Upon investigation, it was revealed that the children were lured away under false pretenses, with some being sold while others were forced into adopting a new identity, including name changes and religious conversion. Shockingly, they were compelled to attend church services against their will.
“One of the victims, known as Hasana but renamed Faith, revealed in an interview that a man named Bala, posing as the father of one of the children, convinced their grandmother to change their school, setting the stage for the abduction. The exploitation began under the pretext of enrolling the children in a more affordable school after they were sent home for failing to pay PTA fees.
“Following their abduction to Abuja and subsequently to Jos, the children were separated, with Hasana’s sister Hafsat, now called Esther, taken to a different location. In Jos, the children were not only subjected to forced name changes but also compelled to attend church services against their will.
“In a courageous move, Hasana (Faith) bravely traced the location where her sister Hafsat (Esther) is and disclosed the abuse she suffered at the hands of the abductors, including instances of physical torture leaving visible marks on her body”
The group however commended the “efforts of the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Police and the DSS, for their swift and diligent work in identifying and rescuing the stolen children. Their efforts led to the successful recovery of the children and their prompt action ensured the children’s safety at a residence in Otako Village while awaiting the prosecution of the suspects involved.
The Kano Patriotic Development Forum (KPDF) also condemned this act and strongly warned the perpetrators and their allies from the Christian faith to desist from such acts, which are capable of causing inter-faith disputes and social disorders”.