Abducted, Renamed, and Converted by Authority of Muslim State Officials
By TruthNigeria Staff
Julie Nwafor, a teenager from Nigeria’s metropolis of Kano, found herself pregnant. Her boyfriend denied responsibility, and her parents were devastated. In her moment of crisis, she found help at Du Merci Children Development Ministry, a Christian orphanage run by Dr. Mercy Daniel.
“Dr. Mercy took me in and registered me for antenatal care,” Julie said. “Eventually, I gave birth to a baby boy, whom I named Emmanuel.”
Unable to care for him, Julie left Emmanuel at the orphanage while she returned to school. She earned her diploma and a university degree. But in 2017, during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), her life took a devastating turn.
“I got a call from the orphanage. They told me my son and 15 other children had been taken away by the Kano State Government,” she said.
The state claimed the orphanage lacked proper registration and was operating illegally. Dr. Mercy and her husband were arrested. Though a court later dismissed the charges and acquitted them, the government refused to return the children, including Emmanuel.
“The most painful part is that my son was converted to Islam by the state,” Julie said. “They changed his name from Emmanuel to Muhammad and initially denied me access to him. After pressure, I was finally allowed to see him.”
Her visits revealed a disturbing picture.
“He told me he was confused and afraid to come back,” she said. “I can tell his conversations are being monitored. He’s guarded in what he says. I didn’t give birth to a Muslim. I just want my son back.”
A Widespread Pattern
The children taken from Du Merci are Destiny, Emmanuel, David, Solomon, Moses, Comfort, Small Emmanuel, Peace, Joshua, Deborah, Paul, Elizabeth, Esther, Mercy, Divine, and Martha.
The parents share similar experiences of trauma and exclusion. Rose Abu, one of the affected parents, told TruthNigeria TV, “The government prevents us from seeing our children. Some have even been forcibly married off after being converted.”
She added, “This is not an isolated incident. Abductions and forced conversions of Christian girls in northern Nigeria are common. Children are taken, renamed, and Islamized — often under government watch.”
Court Order Defied
Human rights lawyer Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe has been fighting for the children’s return. According to him, the situation escalated when the Kano government defied a court order.
“We arrived in Kano on March 18, expecting the release of the children,” he said. “But instead, we learned the children had been given phones, iPads, and other incentives — alongside threats — to prevent them from returning to Christianity.”
The court had ordered the children returned by March 19. When Ogebe and his team arrived, they were told the Commissioner was “unavailable.”
“We waited for hours,” Ogebe said. “Then the orphanage proprietors were attacked by unknown individuals in broad daylight. It was lawlessness.”
Abuse of Power
Ogebe said the government’s actions are not mere lapses but a pattern of persecution.
“In Kano, it feels like a different republic,” he said. “We were told to our faces: ‘This is Kano. We’ll do what we want.’”
The state later filed a motion to overturn the court order — and in doing so admitted that several children had converted to Islam and would not be returned.
“This confirms what we feared,” Ogebe said. “It’s a state-sponsored religious conversion agenda. They even changed the children’s names.”
Parallels with Boko Haram
Ogebe drew disturbing parallels with the tactics of Boko Haram.
“This is state-sponsored kidnapping and forced religious conversion,” he said. “What’s happening here is no different from Boko Haram’s abduction and Islamization of schoolgirls. The only difference is the setting.”
Targeting a Christian Orphanage
Ogebe highlighted the continued persecution of Prof. Solomon Tarfa, founder of Du Merci.
“Du Merci is a registered Christian orphanage that’s cared for abandoned children for decades,” he said. “Yet the Kano government raided it under false claims.”
On February 4, 2020, Prof. Tarfa was arrested and charged with operating an unregistered orphanage, kidnapping, and forgery. All charges were dismissed. In 2023, the Nigerian Court of Appeal acquitted him fully, declaring the case baseless.
A Warning to Christian Institutions
Ogebe issued a stark warning: “This is more than injustice — it’s systemic religious persecution. Christian institutions involved in education and social care are being targeted under the guise of regulation.”
Despite court rulings and advocacy, the 16 children — including Emmanuel — remain in state custody. For Julie and other parents, the fight continues.
“I just want my son back,” Julie said. “I want him to remember who he is.”
