The two victims identified as Veronica Mathias Bayaro and Cecilia Mathias Bayaro, 16, were allegedly abducted by Islamic Religion Affairs in Damaturu.
A Christian family has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun over the alleged abduction of two of their daughters, including a 16-year-old by the Islamic Religious Affairs group in Damaturu in Yobe State.
The two victims identified as Veronica Mathias Bayaro and Cecilia Mathias Bayaro, 16, were allegedly abducted by Islamic Religion Affairs in Damaturu.
One of them was allegedly abducted on March 17, 2024 while the other was taken in 2019, according to the family.
The family of the late Mathias Bayaro asked the IGP to wade into the case with a view to securing the release of their daughters safely from the camp of the group, adding that the family is traumatised by the incident.
This is contained in a petition titled: 'Re-complaint on abduction against a group called Islamic religious affairs (aka Moral) and one Mallam Idi, district head of Shembre 12th July 2024.’
The petition was signed by Maryamu Mathias, an elder sister of the victims for the family and received by the IGP Office on July 17, 2024.
The family explained that the incident happened when they sent their daughter identified as Maryamu Mathias to deliver grains to her younger sister, Cecilia Mathias, at Gadaka village in the Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The family alleged that both daughters were abducted by the Islamic group at different times.
It noted that upon discovery that the daughters never returned home after 24 hours, they reported the matter to the police.
According to the family, a few days later, the Department of State Services called and invited them to meet with the District Head of Shembre at the palace of Village Head of Gudi, where they were informed by a group that they should not bother to look for Cecilia because she was with them.
The petition reads in part, "That sometime on the 17th day of March, 2024, we sent our sister by name Maryamu Mathias with ten (10) measures of grains, from Goge village in Yobe State, to be delivered to our younger sister by name Cecilia Mathias, at Gadaka village in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State, to enable her (Cecilia Mathias) travel to Damaturu, Yobe State, to participate in youth wing convention.
"Maryamu Mathias delivered the grains to Cecilia Mathias at Gadaka market and Cecilia went home, turned them and returned the empty sack and left the market immediately.
Maryamu expected that Cecilia should have gotten home, so when one Alice (f) who lived in same house with Cecilia arrived at the market, Maryamu asked Alice if Cecilia had gotten home, but surprisingly, Alice said that she did not see Cecilia at home, all efforts made to reach her failed; Cecilia never got home till date.
"Upon discovery that Cecilia never returned home, we went and reported at Gadaka Police Station (a Police outpost under Fika Division), on the same day in the evening, but the Policemen on duty said that we arrived very late, that we should go and return the following day, especially, considering the fact that the incident had not lasted up to 24 hours.
"As advised, we went back to the Station the following day and reported accordingly. Thereafter, we went to Fika Police Station and DSS office Fika respectively and reported same.
"Few days later, the DSS called our family and invited us to meet with the District Head of Shembre at the Palace of village head of Gudi village. We honoured the invitation and went there; the DSS introduced us as the family members and relations of the missing lady.
"The District Head of Shembre stated that one Sheik Umar from a group called Islamic Religion Affairs, a group we are suspecting may be linked to terrorism came to his house and informed him that we should not suffer looking for our sister/daughter, that she is with them in Damaturu, Yobe State capital.
"He further stated that the group Islamic Religion Affairs has also promised to bring our sister/daughter to the Chief of Gudi's palace. One week later, the District Head of Shembre called us and told us that Sheik Umar from the group called to inform him that our family should go to the group's office in Damaturu.
"Sometime in March after the Easter celebrations, we went to the office of the Islamic Religion Affairs, Damaturu, Yobe State with high anticipation of finding our missing sister/daughter. Upon arrival at the office, we met the Secretary to the Permanent Secretary of the group by name Usman (m) at his desk, he led us to the Permanent Secretary's office. We briefed the Permanent Secretary of what took us to his office, but to our dismay, he denied having knowledge of any such case.
"Then we went back home dejectedly. Later, we went back to the Divisional Police Officer of Fika Divisional Police Headquarters and briefed him of what transpired when we went to the office of the
"Islamic Religion Affairs, Damaturu, the DPO called the District Head of Shembre and cautioned him that he was going to summon a meeting and that would be the last meeting, if nothing meaningful came out of it.
“He would arrest him and Sheik Umar if they failed to produce the missing person; our hope was reignited again, but worse still, our sister/daughter has not been produced and no any further meaningful action from both the Police and DSS till date, hence, our last hope is the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
"It is premised on the above that we write to implore the Inspector-General of Police, to kindly use his good office and wade into this case with a view to securing the release of our daughter safely from the camp of the suspected terrorists group. The family is in despondency, we have been traumatized as a result of this dastardly act.”
"While counting on the timely fatherly intervention of the Inspector- General of Police on this matter, accept the assurances of my esteemed regards, please," the petition added.
The victim's elder brother, Musa Mathias told SaharaReporters on Monday that the first abduction happened in 2019.
He said, "My sister who was also abducted in 2019 with another Christian girl at different times are still with the Islamic Religious Affairs abductors in Damaturu, Yobe state capital.
"The girls are still with the Islamic Religious Affair. They are Cecelia Mathias Bayaro, Veronica Mathias Bayaro and two others. One of them is Jara David. But I believe God will fight for us.”
"I saw my sisters but were not allowed to take them from the custody of their abductors; we are appealing to the IGP to come to our aid,” he lamented.
However, Sheik Umar, the Islamic group’s representative declined to comment on the issue when contacted by SaharaReporters on Monday.
"I won’t listen to you. I have spoken with the Reverend who posted about it on his social media. Regarding this, if we resolve the case, I will take legal action against him. I just want you to be aware of that,” he said.
"Henceforth, I will not communicate with you again. Please go and discuss the matter with the Commissioner of Police in Yobe State.”
Meanwhile, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, Police Public Relations Officer, Yobe Command told SaharaReporters that the case is under investigation.
He said, "The case is currently under investigation. The family and everyone involved were all here at state command in March, the issue is not about abduction.
"The girl found interest to become a Muslim, she went and got somebody make her (a Muslim), and the person made her Muslim. When the person asked her to go home, she refused.”
"The girl right now is with Ministry of Religion Affairs in Yobe and the ministry is ready to release her to her parent but the girl doesn't want to go. The Command is on the matter and we are fighting towards finding a way for the girl to return to her parent," he added.