Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Bauchi State Police Command has been plunged into a fresh storm of controversy after representatives of an Islamic Da'awah group successfully blocked the release of a 16-year-old girl to her parents, despite a directive from the state Commissioner of Police for the teenager to be handed over to her family. The parents, Saratu Daniel and Joseph, who travelled from Adamawa State to Bauchi to reclaim their daughter, Jennifer Joseph, were left in anguish on Friday, August 21, 2026, after the intervention of the Da'awah group forced the police to reverse their decision. According to an account of the meeting made available to SaharaReporters, the Commissioner of Police had reviewed the case and directed that Jennifer should be released to her parents, who were present and had indicated their willingness to take responsibility for their daughter. The CP reportedly directed an Assistant Commissioner of Police to implement the decision immediately. However, the proposed release was halted after representatives of the Da'awah group objected, expressing concern for the teenager's safety and urging the police to take the matter before a court instead.
Following the disagreement, the police decided to move Jennifer temporarily to the Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, where she is expected to remain pending a further review of the matter on Monday. The development has left Jennifer's parents facing further uncertainty after travelling from Adamawa to Bauchi specifically to take their daughter home. One of Jennifer's parents expressed their frustration, saying: "We travelled from Adamawa to Bauchi because we were called and because we wanted to take responsibility for our daughter". The parents are appealing to the Commissioner of Police and other authorities to allow them to return home with Jennifer, arguing that they should be given an opportunity to exercise their parental responsibilities. The parents also expressed concern for their other children who have remained at home while both parents stay in Bauchi to pursue the matter.
The case has drawn widespread public concern, with the mother, Saratu Daniel, previously appearing in a viral video pleading with authorities to help recover her daughter. In the emotional video, Saratu repeatedly demanded the return of Jennifer, saying she wants her daughter back and is seeking the intervention of the authorities because she believes the teenager was taken away from her unlawfully. Saratu alleged that Jennifer was taken from a Christian rehabilitation centre in Bauchi and handed over to a group of Islamic preachers known as the Da'awa group. According to her, the teenager was introduced to Islam about two months ago after visiting a family member whose wife had recently given birth. After learning of her daughter's alleged conversion, Saratu went with Jennifer's uncle to retrieve her and subsequently took her to The Gospel of Christ Must Be Preach International Ministry, also known as Bishara Dole, a Christian rehabilitation centre in Bauchi, for assistance.
However, Saratu alleged that Jennifer was later taken away from the centre by a man identified as Abubakar, whom she described as a person who had presented himself as a Christian convert undergoing new-convert classes at the facility. She alleged that Abubakar subsequently took the teenager to the Da'awa group without the family's consent. Saratu said she reported the matter to the Bauchi State Police Command, adding that the Commissioner of Police ordered an investigation into the allegations. She alleged that following the investigation, she was informed that she could come and take her daughter home on Monday, August 18, 2026. However, according to her, when she arrived at the command, the Commissioner of Police allegedly reneged on the arrangement and Jennifer was returned to the Da'awa group.
Reverend Mohammed Mohammed, who runs the Bishara Dole Christian Ministry, confirmed the incident and called for an independent investigation into the matter. According to Mohammed, an Islamic preacher, Adam Ashaka, had appeared in a video allegedly attacking the reputation of the Bishara Dole centre, claiming that the facility was involved in child molestation. Mohammed alleged that the video was part of a smear campaign against the centre and was intended to strengthen the Da'awa group's position in retaining custody of Jennifer. The case has also drawn attention to the broader issue of forced religious conversions in Bauchi State, which has been described as Nigeria's most notorious ground for forced Islamic conversions. In a separate but related case, a law firm recently petitioned the Department of State Services over the alleged defiance of a court order in the case of a 17-year-old Christian girl, Faith Barnabas, who was allegedly forcibly converted to Islam.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Saratu has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Bauchi State Government to intervene and help her recover her daughter. Saratu, who said she has been divorced from Jennifer's father for nine years, said she informed him of the development and that he was also disturbed by the situation. She said Jennifer's father is demanding that their daughter be returned to the family and allowed to continue practising the Christian faith, arguing that she is still a minor. "I want my daughter back home. I am only asking the authorities to help me recover my child," Saratu said in her appeal. She further argued that Jennifer, being 16, should not be left to make such a sensitive decision on her religious identity without proper parental involvement.
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