By Nazifi Dawud

The Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI) has condemned the abduction and conversion of nine Kano children to Christianity by a criminal gang of Igbo kidnappers, who were arrested by the Kano state police command.

Kano Focus reports that the Kano Police Command had on Friday paraded six Igbo persons who have confessed to abducting children and selling them in Onitsha, Anambra state.

A statement signed by chairman of the group, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, on behalf of other members, and sent to Kano Focus on Monday, said the abduction of the nine Kano children is a special crime due to its “ideological undertones”.

“Whatever was the purpose of these abductions it is still frightening because of the newspaper reports of the horrendous experiences the children underwent. This is a specialized organized crime that manipulates religion to exploit the innocent children. It is widely re-ported that the names of the children were changed and they were “converted” to Christianity. This is a very dangerous dimension,” the statement read.

‘More captives’

“We therefore call on all umbrella religious associations of Christians and Muslim to condemn this evil action and take the necessary steps. If we recall when one Esie Oruru of Bayelsa State, was claimed to have been taken by her lover who converted her to Islam, Muslim leaders condemned the behavior and took the appropriate steps since the girl was under-aged. The press also made several headline stories and commentaries. So we now expect nothing less from them on this issue of abduction of nine children. Who, were abused in the name of converting them to Christianity.

“And, possibly, they were being taken for other purposes such as slavery, human sacrifice for rituals or use in baby factories, which have become rampant crimes of such kind of abductors. It is in this light that we call on the Nigeria Police not to relent in their efforts of unearthing the true motives of this abduction.

“In addition, we call on the Nigerian Police and the Security Agencies to do their utmost to investigate if there are any more of these captive children and adults from other States en-slaved anywhere else in the country, not only in Anambra State,” the statement advised.

The group also demanded the Kano state government to liaise with its Anambra counterpart to investigate the nature of the crime considering the past maltreatment of Northerners in Anambra state.

“We call on Kano State Government to liaise with Anambra State Government to find out the nature of these abductions and the better ways of cooperating to end these criminal activities for the over-all peaceful co-existence of the citizens of Nigeria.

“This becomes more imperative if we recall what a former Governor of Anambra State (Peter Obi) did to some innocent Northerners living in his state until a former Governor of Kano State (Rabiu Kwankwaso) visited him to resolve the issue. State Governments have the capacity and human resources to utilize in fostering peace in their various communities and the country in general,” the KCCI said.

“We call on the Press to continue to expose these criminals for what they are. The Press has important role to play and it must eschew partisanship and sectionalism. There is need for wide coverage of this crime to inform and enlighten the public on the atrocities of these criminals who want to hide under religious and ethnic garb to perpetrate their evil machinations of dividing the country along these lines.

“We call on the law-abiding citizens of Kano State to remain calm and report any suspicious activities to the police. The criminals who abducted these children for diabolical reasons would face the wrath of the law. Even though they are from a particular part of the country they don’t represent their ethnic group therefore no one should profile that ethnic group in this regard. They are responsible for their actions before the law and they should face it irrespective of where they come from,” it added.

Other members of the KCCI–which is “dedicated to the overall welfare of Kano citizens” are: Engr. Bashir M. Borodo, Dr. Tijjani Naniya, Alhaji Shehu Muhammad, Hajiya Binta Sarki Mukhtar, Alhaji Muhammad S. Nanono, Alhaji Abdurrahman Umar and Alhaji Sabi’u Ibrahim.