The coordinator of Du Merci Orphanage home, Nonamansland, Kano, Mrs Mercy Tarfa, on Saturday, raised an alarm that the 27 children allegedly rescued from the Home by the Kano police command and the National Agency for the Prohibition and Trafficking of Persons (NAPTIP), Kano branch since Christmas day are being forced to convert to Islam.
In an exclusive interview, the coordinator of the orphanage home said information reaching her from the Nasarawa home where her children are being remanded is that there is an ongoing daily persuasion from officials of the center telling the children to convert to Islam. one of the older ones by name Michael Tarfa, 24, has been promised quick release from custody, a house and a wife if he agrees to become a Muslim.
She likened the situation to that of Leah Sharibu who was adopted alongside others students in the northeast by some insurgents but denied her freedom because she would not convert to Islam.
The crying mother of Du Merci Orphanage Home said all the children were brought up by her, adding that they have been Christians from birth and wonders why the government in connivance with the Kano Police command are trying to convert some Christian children forcefully to Islam.MORE READING! CAN tells Buhari to fulfil promise of rescuing Leah Sharibu, Chibok girls
she said the matter is having a religious undertone hence her decision to call on the Christian Association of Nigerian and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria to assist in saving the children.
She added that the older ones , Sarah 31, Michael 24, and a few others above the age of 18 have separated from the younger ones lately in a bid to keep molesting them for the religious conversion.
She said though the police claims to have rescued the children they are now in a bad situation of poor feeding habits, clothing and shelter, adding that two of them who fell ill were taken to the hospital and abandoned there by the police.
In view of the unfolding development, Mrs Mercy Tarfa is seeking the urgent intervention of the leadership of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), so as to halt the alleged forceful conversion of the children to Islam, stressing, the Children, whose ages, ranges between 31 and 18. ”
The police and NAPTIP, said they rescued the kids from being sold. I am now at a loss, as to why kids, the police claimed they have rescued are now being forced to be converted to Islam?”
According to her, the management of the Nassarawa Home, are inviting the rescued kids individually into an office, persuading them to convert to Islam.
To this end, she also called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene, as well as ensure that her husband, Professor Solomon Tarfa, who has been languishing in Police custody, since 2019 Christmas is granted bail.
Also, she said that two of the Children relocated from Du Merci Orphanage to Nassarawa Children Home, who took ill were sent to a Hospital for treatment, adding that two months after, no official from Nassarawa Children Home has visited them to find out their state of health.
Mrs Tarfa, said, she is convinced that the hidden agenda of relocating the Children from Du Merci Orphanage to Nasarrawa children Home, is to Islamize the children.
When contacted, Barrister Gideon Uzu, who is the lawyer to The Du merci Orpanage Home Mr Solomon Tarfa, confirmed that Tarfa was granted stringent a bail condition by the Chief Magistrate Court 29, on a condition to produce a Permanent Secretary from one of the Federal Ministries, as one of his sureties.
Also, according to him, he filed an application for the review or variation of that bail condition, adding that the application has been argued and reserved till Monday February 24, 2020 for ruling.
”We hope that the High Court will review the onerous bail condition and release Mr. Solomon Tarfa on bail.
”On the clandestine move to Islamize the children, certainly that is not an unfounded rumour. One of the staff of the Nassarawa home tried to convert one of the young men detained at the home, by engaging him in a conversation to change his faith.
The young man recorded the conversation. The police have however swooped on the young man and confiscated his phone.
We hope that the high court will uphold the right of Mr. Solomon Tarfa and release him on bail.
We also are hopeful that the Federal High Court will uphold the right of the children and the adults, including a 30-year-old graduate being detained at Nassarawa Home.
There is no justification for what the Kano state police command and Kano branch of NAPTIP are doing by detaining the Du Merci children and refusing them to go back to school.
