Amid growing anger over a video that went viral showing Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, appearing to apply undue pressure to get an alleged Christian young lady converted to Islam, a Christian group, the Christian Rights Agenda (CRA), has come down heavily on him “condemning in the strongest terms” what it described as “the forceful and provocative conversion of Christian minor girls from Christianity to Islam”.
The social media has been agog with criticisms and support for the Governor’s action. Ganduje, often described as Khadimul Islam (warrior of Islam) on account of propagating his religion by building worship centres and presiding over conversion ceremonies. His activities, a source said, increased after videos emerged after videos showed him allegedly collecting dollars as alleged bribes.
A northern Christian leader, Evangelist Saminu Kadaura, admonished Christians to use the video to pray against the work of darkness and its agents in the lives of vulnerable persons in Kano and elsewhere in Nigeria and beyond.
“What he did is null and void, and has no effect whatsoever in the life of a true Christian. She did not speak from her heart as obvious in the video. However, it is a call to all of us to become involved in the battle for souls. You can sit in Lagos and destroy what such men and others like them do. Just mention his name and others you suspect or know do such things and ask the LORD God Almighty, in the name of Jesus, to destroy their works, have mercy on them and judge them, and God knows what to do, and when to do it. I am not bothered about what a man allegedly accused of stealing and stuffing dollars did. If he does not repent of abusing his office by what he did to that girl and others, the Jehovah who gave him the office will speak and everyone will see it. For no true worshiper worships under duress as is being done here.”
He advised Christians to continue to pray; and others who do evangelism to continue wherever they are, knowing they are backed by God’s power and the prayer of the saints
The Conversion Video:
In the video which has since gone viral, the Governor is seen and heard in Hausa talking to one of two young ladies, who appeared reluctant to the overtures.
A translation by an expert in the language goes thus:
An unidentified man starts by telling the young lady rather brashly do you want to become a Muslim and it is not because you were forced, it is an easy thing, because the Governor is here to lead you through. He asks the young lady her name.
“Becky,” she responds.
The Governor receives the microphone and asks the girl her name and she repeated Becky.
Ganduje: “You want to become a Muslim as is said. If so then you are lucky, Allah has given you luck. Now whatever I say you should repeat after me and after we finish you have become a Muslim. Our religious mallams Islamic clerics) will explain every detail to you later. They will explain all that is involved in Islamic worship to you.”
The Governor then went ahead to lead her to say the Islamic creed for conversion which translated to English is, “I confess that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger.”
Ganduje asked her name again and she repeated Becky, then he asked her to choose a feminine Islamic name she might want to bear and she said Bilkisu.
The Governor then says, “you know Islamic religion is established on knowledge and acts. Now you are a Muslim since you have said the Islamic Creed.
“Among the acts performed in Islam are Sallah prayer which the mallams will teach you. There are other things you perform before the Sallah such as ablution and others which the mallams will explain all to you.
“There is also fasting in the month of Ramadan, but women have their own rules in fasting and the mallams will explain to you. There is the Pilgrimage to Mecca once a year; if you have the means, it is compulsory to go; but if you don’t have, it is not compulsory.
“There is also tithe when you have some wealth portions is deducted as tithe or if you rear animals there is tithe from the proceeds and tithe is also deducted from from harvest of grains if you are a farmer.
“Again there is what in Islam is called Haram and Halal. Halal is what Allah accepts example in foods. Pig is Haram that is forbidden while Haram includes stealing, drinking alcohol, lie, adultery. May God make us worthy in his presence. Amen.”
The CRA, in a statement issued by its interim director of Publicity, Tom Chiahamen, noted that with concern that since becoming Governor in 2015, Ganduje has made it a state policy to embark on mass conversion of indigenous Hausa Christians allegedly using money and coercion every Friday.
It adds: “Indigenous Hausa Christians in Kano state have been subjugated under Ganduje’s administration and are denied their rights and privileges as citizens.
A clear example is the alleged denial of scholarships to Christian students studying in tertiary institutions in and outside Kano state.
“Many Hausa Christians have also been allegedly denied employment opportunities and live in perpetual fear as second class citizens.
“Despite clear improvement in infrastructure in Kano state, Christian dominated parts of Kano metropolis are still in their pre-1999 ruinous conditions.
“But expending state resources for jihad inspired conversion of Christian minors by force, tricks, intimidation, threats and all kinds of backward means, is the most annoying insult indigenous Christians of Kano state are forced to live with under Ganduje.
“The lame explanation by the governor that the teenage girls in question are pagans and not Christians is not tenable because pagans don’t bear Biblical names such as Rebecca.
“We demand that these girls and many others be returned to their parents with immediate effect or we will be left with no option than to take legal action against the Kano state government in addition to reporting him to the International community including the International Criminal Court, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the governments of the United States of America, Britain and the European Union.
“We call on all men and women of goodwill, including President Muhammadu Buhari, to rein in Governor Ganduje to desist from his mission and release the girls and many other forcefully abducted and converted to Islam.
“It is very disheartening that the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Plateau state Governor, Simon Lalong, and the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief Audu Ogbeh, who both are Christians, have remained silent over this dangerous path being treaded by Ganduje.
“The deafening silence by Governor Lalong and Chief Ogbeh at this time is never golden and may be construed to be acquiescence. It is time they come out and talk.
“The Governor’s action portends great danger to the fragile unity, peace and stability of Nigeria as a nation.”
