By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
A 15-year-old girl, who ran away from home because she wanted to ‘convert to Islam,’ was recently reunited with her family seven months.
Patience Paul Adaji, who hails from Ohimini LG of Benue state, but lives in Sokoto, succumbed to peer pressure when she agreed with her school friend, Rashida, to change her faith from Catholicism to Islam without the knowledge of her parents, other friends and family members.
She stayed with friends, Muslim families for seven months until her family was able to track her down through the assistance of an NGO, Voice for the Girl Child Foundation, and reported to the police.
Speaking to journalists yesterday in Kaduna en route to Benue state where she is to be received by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Patience said she regretted her action.
She said: “I was 14-year-old when it happened; we were in school when my friend, Rashida, asked me if I wanted to convert to Islam, I said no. The next day, the girl kept pressuring me and I agreed to change to Islam. Then an uncle in the school helped me; they told me that nothing would happen to me if I changed. They told me that if I wanted to leave house, I should not tell anybody.
“So, on Tuesday, when only my sister was at home, I carried my clothes and left. Rashida took me to a girl’s house, then I was taken to a woman’s house, they then took me to Sarki Baki (district head of visitors) house where I spent seven months.
“I was not married out, somebody came to tell me that he wanted to marry me, but Sarki Baki said I was too young to be married. They bathed me into Islam and I was attending Islamic school in the morning, then I would fetch water; that was all I did. They were feeding me. I am happy to be out of the place, I want my father to forgive me, I want to continue to go to Church.”
Her elder brother, Isaac Paul Adaji, said: “The girl is obedient, but she started behaving funny then she got missing on August 12, 2015. We reported to the police and the Justice Development and Peace Committee.
“Then on March 1, 2016, we put the information on the social media after Ese Oruru’s case and we started receiving calls, including Barrister Ezekiel, who helped us propagate the issue further. I received information that Sokoto state government is looking for the parent of a girl and we met with the Commissioner on March 4, 2016.”
