Court gavel and DSS logo
A Jos-based legal firm, Wholesome Attorneys, has petitioned the Bauchi State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), urging the agency to enforce a Federal High Court judgment ordering the release of a 17-year-old Christian girl, Faith Barnabas, to her mother.
The petition, filed on behalf of Mrs. Kumabe Zakari, the teenager’s widowed mother, expressed concern over what the lawyers described as the continued disobedience of a court order directing that the minor be reunited with her family.
Dated July 9, 2026, the petition called on the DSS to ensure compliance with the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Jos Judicial Division, on July 6, which ordered the immediate release of Faith Barnabas from state custody.
According to the lawyers, Faith was allegedly converted to Islam without her mother’s consent by one Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini, with the involvement of the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission. They argued that the alleged conversion violated Section 8 of the Bauchi State Child Protection Law, 2023, which recognizes the rights of parents over decisions relating to the religion and welfare of a minor.
The petition further alleged that the teenager remains in the custody of the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA) despite the subsisting court order directing that she be released to her mother.
The lawyers stated: “Faith is being unlawfully held at the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA), despite subsisting court orders directing that she be reunited with her family.”
According to the petition, following the alleged conversion in April 2026, Mrs. Zakari regained custody of her daughter and relocated with her to Jos. However, the lawyers claimed that on April 30, Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini allegedly traced the teenager to Jos and abducted her to an undisclosed location.
The petition further stated that although the Bauchi State Police Command later recovered the teenager and located the suspect, Faith was allegedly placed in the custody of BASOVCA instead of being returned to her mother.
The legal team also alleged that while the suspect is facing trial before a Principal District Court in Bauchi on charges of conspiracy and abduction, he has allegedly been granted access to the teenager, whereas her mother and other relatives have been denied similar access.
According to the solicitors, after BASOVCA allegedly failed to comply with an interim order issued by the Principal District Court directing that Faith be released to her mother, they filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court in Jos. The court subsequently ordered the immediate release of the teenager.
Expressing concern over what they described as a persistent disregard for judicial authority, the lawyers appealed to the DSS to enforce the Federal High Court judgment and facilitate the immediate reunification of Faith with her mother, whom they said has endured severe emotional distress since the incident.
YOWICAN Condemns Alleged Disobedience of Court Order
The petition has continued to attract reactions from religious and civil society groups.
The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Billiri Local Government Area Chapter in Gombe State, condemned what it described as the continued failure to comply with the Federal High Court’s judgment.
In a statement issued on August 2, 2026, and signed by its chairman, Comrade Sarki P. Napthali, the group expressed concern over the continued detention of the teenager, describing it as a violation of the rule of law and an affront to the Nigerian judiciary.
The Christian youth body maintained that, “despite the judgment the Federal High Court delivered on July 6 ordering Faith’s immediate release to her mother, the Bauchi State Government and BASOVCA have failed to obey the court’s directive as of August 2.
“The continued custody of the minor violates provisions of the 1999 Constitution relating to personal liberty, family life and freedom of religion, as well as the Child Rights Act and the Bauchi State Child Protection Law, which recognize parental authority over a child’s welfare and religious upbringing.”
YOWICAN also referenced several international human rights instruments ratified by Nigeria, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The group called on the Bauchi State Government and BASOVCA to comply fully with the Federal High Court judgment. It also appealed to the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to enforce the court’s directive while ensuring the safety of the teenager and her mother.
In addition, YOWICAN urged that contempt proceedings be initiated against any public officials or institutions found to have deliberately disobeyed the court order. The organisation also called for the cancellation of documents allegedly used to change the teenager’s religion and name.
Background to the Case
The latest petition follows the legal action instituted by Mrs. Kumabe Zakari before the Federal High Court in Jos after she alleged that her daughter disappeared in April 2026, was later declared to have converted to Islam by the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission, and was placed in BASOVCA custody instead of being returned to her family.
In the fundamental rights suit, Mrs. Zakari is seeking the immediate release of her daughter, the nullification of documents relating to the alleged conversion, and damages for what she described as violations of the teenager’s constitutional rights.
The respondents in the suit include the Bauchi State Government, the Attorney General of Bauchi State, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, BASOVCA, the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission and Sadiq Ahmad Hassan.
The case has drawn increasing attention from religious freedom advocates and civil society organisations, who say it raises important issues regarding the protection of children’s rights, parental authority, freedom of religion and respect for court orders in Nigeria.
The allegations contained in the petition, court filings and public statements remain subject to ongoing judicial proceedings, while all the respondents retain the right to present their defence before the courts.
