Kano Forced Conversion: Family Raises Alarm Over Missing 15-Year-Old Girl

By: Abudu Olalekan

Family of 15-year-old Ummi Tambaya alleges abduction and forced conversion to Islam in Kano, accuses Hisbah commander of hiding the girl.

Ummi Tambaya is just 15 years old. She’s been missing since December 1, 2025. Her family is desperate. And they’re pointing fingers at some very powerful people.

The young Christian girl from Kadafa Bari District in Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State has allegedly been abducted. But that’s not even the worst part. Her family claims she was forcefully converted to Islam. And local religious authorities are supposedly involved.

This is a story that will make your blood boil.

According to the family, a young Muslim man from their village had been pursuing Ummi for marriage. She refused him. Multiple times. He didn’t take no for an answer. When she went missing, he initially claimed he knew nothing about her whereabouts.

Pastor Kabiru Usman knows this case well. He’s been following it closely. After weeks of searching, they finally got a lead.

“After a long search and relentless efforts, we discovered the girl has been kept under the custody of the Hisbah Commander of Rogo, Malam Sani, that she wants to convert to Islam,” Usman revealed.

But theres more. People close to the Hisbah Commander allegedly exposed those behind the abduction. Names were mentioned. Abba Sheshu. Mansir Surajo. Tasiu Bello. These three men supposedly kept Ummi hidden for an entire month.

Here’s what makes this even more heartbreaking. The girl reportedly has mental health issues. And during her captivity, she was allegedly denied medical treatment. A sick child, held against her will, with no access to help.

The family tried everything. They went to the Divisional Police Officer in Rogo, Suleiman Ibrahim. They approached the village district head, Umar Abdulkadir. Both intervened. But the Hisbah commander allegedly refused to produce the girl.

Even the Department of State Services couldn’t help. Or wouldn’t. Pastor Usman made a shocking accusation about one DSS officer.

“One of their officers in the local government collected up to N20,000, claiming that officers from the headquarters needed it to buy fuel,” he said.

Twenty thousand naira. For fuel. And still nothing happened.

Shamsu Tambaya, a family member, spoke exclusively to Reportersroom about how everything unfolded. He painted a picture of a community that once lived in peace despite religious differences.

“There was a certain boy here, whom we loved. We were living together peacefully despite the fact that we belonged to two different religions,” Shamsu explained.

But something changed. The boy started talking to Ummi secretly. She became distant from her family. She stopped listening to anyone except him.

“She stopped listening to anyone, she no longer listened to anybody except him,” Shamsu said.

The girl was moved around before ending up with the Hisbah commander. When confronted, Commander Sani allegedly told the family that Ummi was “in a place better than our own house.”

That response didn’t sit well with anyone.

The family rejected claims that Ummi reported them to human rights organisations. Shamsu was emphatic about this.

“God is my witness, only God knows that this girl has never even known what human rights are in this world,” he stated.

They reported the case to local police, then to Kano State Police Headquarters. More demands for money followed. Another N20,000 request. Nothing came of it.

Shamsu made an emotional appeal. His niece is just 15. She has mental health challenges that affect her understanding. She’s too young to make decisions about changing her religion.

“If the government will look into this matter for us, let them bring our daughter out for us,” he pleaded.

This isn’t an isolated incident either. Pastor Usman mentioned five other similar cases of alleged forced conversions of Christian girls in the area. Five. The pattern is disturbing.

When Reportersroom contacted Hisbah Commander Sani, he asked for the complainant’s name. Upon learning the family raised the issue, he refused to discuss details over phone. He insisted the newspaper must visit his office in Kano for information.

The family waits. Ummi remains missing. And questions about her safety continue to haunt everyone involved.