Nabila Umar Sanda, 19, is a student at Bingham University in Karu, who while studying there she became friends with Simput Dafup, a 33-year-old Christian, who, once she expressed an interest in Christianity, invited her to meet a local church leader, Jeremiah Datim.
Speaking to the press in Jos, capital of neighbouring Plateau state, Datim explained that after the young woman decided to become a Christian, he immediately made contact with the local Islamic organisation, as has become customary and informed them of the young woman’s wish to join Christianity. The letter he wrote to the local Islamic organisation goes thus:
“I want to state, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees the right to anyone to propagate his faith and the right to also practise any religion of one’s choice. Miss Nabila told me she is 19 years old and therefore free to choose a religion for herself.”
Jeremiah Datim
He immediately contacted the leadership of JNI in the state and informed them that he had one Miss Nabila Umar Sanda in his possession and that she had converted to Christianity.
Datim then went to meet a JNI leader, who made contact with Ms Sanda’s parents. Later that day, Monday 8 January, Datim said detectives from the Department of State Security Services “stormed my house, assaulted my wife, daughter and eight-month-old baby, and took Nabila away”.
Her friend, Simput Dafup, was arrested that same day, and both are still being held in an unknown location.
Datim also learned that Nabila’s father reported to the DSS that he and his family forcefully abducted and brainwashed her into becoming a Christian. So Datim challenged the DSS to produce Nabila and put her and him side by side so they can ask her if she was forcefully converted to Christianity or abducted or brainwashed.
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