Bauchi legal firm petitions DSS over alleged defiance of court order to release teenager

Wholesome Attorneys, a law firm based in Jos, has petitioned the Bauchi State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) to enforce a Federal High Court judgment regarding the release of 17-year-old Faith Barnabas. The court, specifically the Jos Judicial Division, ordered the immediate release of the teenager to her widowed mother, Mrs. Kumabe Zakari, on July 6, 2026.

The legal petition alleges that the minor was forcibly converted to Islam without her mother’s consent by Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini, with the alleged involvement of the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission. Lawyers argue this action violates Section 8 of the Bauchi State Child Protection Law, 2023, which grants parents authority over a minor’s religion and welfare.

Despite the court order, the petition claims Faith remains unlawfully held at the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA). The legal team noted that after an initial conversion in April 2026, the mother had regained custody and moved to Jos, but the teenager was allegedly tracked down and abducted by Hussaini on April 30.