A Nigerian Christian couple, who founded a ministry dedicated to supporting vulnerable children, has started a petition calling for the release of 16 children currently detained by the Kano State authorities.
The situation dates back to December 2019, when state officials removed 27 children from the Du Merci Centres following the arrest of Professor Solomon Musa Tarfa, one of the co-founders and the children’s adoptive father.
Tarfa, who has worked for nearly three decades to assist children in need, faced accusations of kidnapping, abduction, and falsifying documents that allowed him to operate an orphanage. While the kidnapping and abduction charges were dismissed, Tarfa was convicted of forgery. However, this conviction was overturned on appeal.
During Tarfa’s imprisonment, the children were placed in state-run facilities where they were reportedly given Muslim names and pressured to adopt Islamic practices. One child, after suffering a burn injury, was allegedly denied medical care, which resulted in permanent disfigurement, as reported by International Christian Concern.
Eleven of the older children were eventually released, but 16 younger children remain in government custody. Although several legal attempts led to an agreement for the children to be returned in March, the handover did not occur. On the day it was supposed to take place, the Commissioner for Women Affairs announced that the transfer would be delayed for further review. This review is still ongoing.
In response to this ongoing situation, Tarfa and his wife Mercy have launched a petition calling for the immediate return of the children and a full investigation into possible human rights violations that may have occurred during their time in state care.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which has closely monitored the case, voiced its support for the Tarfas.
Mervyn Thomas, CSW’s founder and president, stated, “CSW stands with the Tarfas in calling for the immediate return of the 16 remaining children who have now been unjustly separated from them for over five and a half years.
“We insist that the Kano State government, which is currently disregarding the court’s instructions to return these children to the Tarfas’ care, must make reparations to this family for the years of trauma and injustice to which they have been subjected through needlessly prolonged legal proceedings and the appalling mistreatment of these children whilst in the government’s so-called ‘care’.”
