Law Firm Petitions DSS Alleging Contempt of Court Order Over Continued Detention of Faith Barnabas
A Jos‑based law firm, Wholesome Attorneys, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over the continued detention of 17-year-old Faith Barnabas, despite a subsisting Federal High Court judgment ordering her release to her mother, Mrs Kumabe Zakari.
In the petition dated July 9, 2026, addressed to the Bauchi State Director of the DSS, the firm urged the agency to enforce the July 6 judgment of the Federal High Court, Jos Judicial Division, which directed Faith’s immediate reunification with her widowed mother.
The lawyers alleged that Faith was forcibly converted to Islam by Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini, with the involvement of the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission, in violation of Section 8 of the Bauchi State Child Protection Law, 2023, which recognises parental authority over a minor’s religion and welfare. They further claimed that Faith was being unlawfully held at the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency (BASOVCA), contrary to court orders.
The petition stated in part, “Faith is being unlawfully held at the Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children Agency, despite subsisting court orders directing that she be reunited with her family.”
The petition recounted that after Zakari initially regained custody in April 2026, Hussaini allegedly abducted the teenager from Jos. Though the police later recovered her, she was transferred to BASOVCA instead of being released to her mother. Hussaini is currently facing trial before a Principal District Court in Bauchi for conspiracy and abduction, yet was allegedly granted access to Faith while her family was denied.
“Following the alleged conversion in April 2026, Mrs Zakari initially regained custody of her daughter and relocated with her to Jos. However, on April 30, Sadiq Ahmed Hussaini tracked the teenager to Jos and abducted her to an undisclosed location,” the petition stated.
Wholesome Attorneys noted that BASOVCA failed to comply with interim court orders, prompting the filing of a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court, which subsequently ordered Faith’s release. The firm urged the DSS to intervene to ensure compliance with the judgment, including the immediate reunification of Faith with her mother.
The solicitors also said Zakari had suffered severe emotional trauma as a result of the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s continued disappearance, separation from her and continued detention.
The matter has drawn condemnation from civil society, including the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Billiri LGA, Gombe State, which described the continued detention as an affront to the rule of law and a violation of constitutional rights to liberty, family life, and freedom of religion. YOWICAN also referenced international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, all of which Nigeria is bound by.
The association called for contempt proceedings against officials obstructing compliance, demanded nullification of documents allegedly altering Faith’s name and religion, and urged the Attorney‑General of the Federation, the Inspector‑General of Police, and other security agencies to enforce the Federal High Court’s directive.
