Prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has asked the Federal Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Director-General of National Anti-Human Trafficking Agency (NAPTIP) Fatima Waziri-Azi to ensure the immediate release from captivity and forced conversion to Islam of the 14-year-old Miss Esther Duniya.

Besides HURIWA has promised to sponsor a bill in the 10th session of the National Assembly to specifically criminalise the frequent capture of young Christian virgins in parts of North West of Nigeria and their forced conversion and marriage by local traditional and Islamic leaders which the group calls modern day sexual enslavement.

HURIWA has also reminded the Kaduna State Governor and the State's Attorney-General that if their offices fail to free the 14-year-old Esther Duniya from the alleged sexual slavery and forced conversion to Islam, the duo can be dragged to the International Criminal Court in the Hague Netherlands for this specific crime against humanity.

Specifically, HURIWA, through the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, has alerted the National Assembly of the alleged abduction from school and forceful conversion to Islam of the 14-year-old Esther Duniya.

The rights group stated that information made available to it indicate that Esther Duniya is currently living under Islamic captivity since 5th of April 2023 allegedly with the Village Head of Doroyi (Sarkin Doroyi) in Ikara local government council of Kaduna State and is allegedly under the illegal custody of the Hakimin Makarfi in Makarfi local government area of Kaduna State.

HURIWA is calling on NAPTIP, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Kaduna State Governor, Nassir El-Rufai, Kaduna Attorney General, the Senate's and House of Representatives Committees on public petitions to immediately, swiftly and comprehensively investigate these allegations, and put mechanisms in place to release this hostage and arrest, prosecute and sanction any person indicted for involvement in this modern day sexual slavery if proven.

“We are alerting the nation based on a petition sent to us from Kaduna State in which the Hausa Christians Foundation (HACFO) said it is saddened to bring to the notice of the public, the continuous systematic persecution of the Northern Christians of Nigeria. Among many of the painful occurrences is the recent abduction, forceful conversion and the abuse of Esther Duniya, an SS1 new Student of Government Secondary School Danlawal Ikara, Ikara LGA.

The group stated in a letter to HURIWA that Miss Esther Duniya is 14 years old and was born on the 29th of April 2009. She is from Magamia Dama Kasuwa of Zangon Kataf LGA of Kaduna State. Two factors resulted to her relocation to Ikara, Ikara LGA of Kaduna State to live with her aunty, Mrs. Esther Danjuma; the first is the insecurity which affected her village and the second is the health challenge she is battling with. Her aunty whose name is Esther, also took her to stay with her to treat her with local herbs since her father, a very ill person too, cannot take care of her as expected.

HURIWA affirmed that it was informed that when she started responding to treatment, her aunty thought it wise for her to continue with her education, which was on hold for a while due to the health challenge. While the treatment continues, on 10th March, 2023 Esther was enrolled at Government Secondary School Danlawal Ikara, which was very close to where she runs her restaurant business.

“As Esther continued to attend her classes, on the 5th of April 2023 she left for school in the morning but couldn’t return home. Esther’s Aunty started looking for her that very day but couldn’t find her. The following day, she was alerted by someone who saw Esther in the house of one Mallam Sani Danmeyamma Danlawal. On reaching the house, his daughter by name Mansura, who happens to be Esther’s classmate, confessed that Esther came to her house to help her wash her clothes, but afterward, she left the house. When the matter was reported to the Village head of Danlawal, he summoned and questioned the said Mansura, who later confessed that Esther was taken to Dorayi to the house of one Aisha Basiru.”

On hearing this, Esther’s Aunty left for Dorayi in search of Esther, and on reaching there she received the shocking news of her life by one Badeyi Bala who claimed to be a Policeman and one Alhaji Lawal who is an aide of the village head of Dorayi (Dogarin Sarkin Dorayi). The Dogarin Sarking Dorayi admitted that one Aisha brought Esther to him to convert her to Islam which he did and because of that, together with the said Badeyi Bala who claims to be a Policeman, said that Esther is with them and they will not give her back to the parents since they have now converted her to Islam. When the parents insisted on the return of Esther, these two staff of the village head refused and even threatened their lives.”

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