Boy, 13, abducted by fanatics to change faith, reunites with parents 19/3/2007


Beginning in November of last year, 13-year old Victor Udo Usen, a member of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Sokoto, went missing.

On February 20, news that young Victor was spotted in a Muslim neighbour’s house jolted his family. A young Christian girl had raced to the Usen’s home in the Mabera area of Sokoto with the news.

Victor’s mother, Esther, said that she ran to the house where her son had been seen. She met him, however, even as he was making frantic efforts to escape from the house where he had been held incommunicado for five months.

"I quickly held his hands and dragged him along with me towards our house." "But within a twinkle of an eye, I heard shouts of ‘Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar (God is great)!’ I was shocked as I saw a large number of Muslims rushing towards us."

The mob surrounded them and snatched her son away from her, she said with tears in her eyes. Before she could send for her husband, who was not at home at the time, the mob, obviously of Islamic fundamentalists told her that her son was now a Muslim and that she and her husband were no longer his parents.

"They abducted him in November last year, and I only saw him today," she said. "How can someone force my son into his religion?"

Victor’s father, Udo Usen, said that when he received the distressed call from his wife, he rushed home only to discover that the boy had been abducted anew.

"I thought, ‘If I force myself into the house of that Muslim to get my son, I will not only be placing the lives of my family at risk but also creating room for them to attack other Christians in Sokoto,’" Usen said.

Instead, Usen contacted his pastor, and together they reported the matter to other Christian leaders – as well as to police and the state security service (SSS).

"The police told us that they cannot do anything at the moment until the Sultan of Sokoto, the leader of Muslims in Nigeria, returns from his trip," he said. "They have held this boy for six months without our consent. They have forced him into Islam. How can they do this to a 13-year old child?"

Esther Thomas Tambari, a Christian neighbour of the Usens, corroborated the facts of the abduction. "The Muslims, we learned, have changed Victor’s name to Abdulkarim," she said.

Tambari said the Muslims had also threatened her son, Simon Thomas, several times.

"When the Usens had their son abducted, as a Christian I had concern for them and decided to help in any way I can to enable them to find their son," Tambari said. "I took Victor’s mother to my pastor, who in turn asked her to report the matter to the police. Now the Muslims are after my son, Simon, and me. My landlady, who happens to be a Muslim, has threatened me with ejection from her house, and my son’s life is at stake."

The Usens are not the only Christian family in Sokoto who have had one of their children abducted and forced into Islam; Christian leaders there say abduction of teenage Christian boys and girls has become a common phenomenon in majority-Muslim Sokoto State.

"Sometimes Muslims force our young boys and girls into Islam," said Kevin Aje, Roman Catholic Bishop of Sokoto. "These are some of the challenges facing Christians here in Sokoto."

Rev. Reuben Yaro, chairman of the Sokoto district of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), has received reports of child abduction. In one case, Muslims forcefully took away a son and a daughter from a family in his church because the mother was a convert from Islam, he said.

"She gave her life to Christ, eventually got married to a Christian and the marriage was blessed with the two kids," Yaro said. But intense persecution followed, he said, with Muslims abducting the children and placing them in the custody of a Muslim cleric.

"The two children have been forced into Islam and are receiving Islamic education," he said.

The Islamists also seized the mother of the two children – her fate is unknown – and forced the father to leave Sokoto in order to save his life, Yaro said.

Yaro said he has reported another case of kidnapping and forced conversion to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Sokoto State chapter, which is investigating it.

Pastor Tayo Atiniku, Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Sokoto State chapter, also corroborated claims of abductions of teenage Christian boys and girls in Sokoto. He cited two examples.

"Grace, a girl, 17 years old, was three years ago abducted by the Muslims here," Atiniku said. "Her parents are members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God here in Sokoto, and her whereabouts are still unknown."

Another Christian girl, daughter of a Christian police officer in Talata Mafara town, also was recently abducted, forced into Islam and married off to a Muslim man without the consent of her parents, he said.

"It took the father the use of a gun for him to rescue her from these Muslims," Atiniku added.

Christian leaders are worried that the kidnapping trend is on the increase, creating tensions between Muslims and Christians.

Almost convulsed with laughter!Modern day(medieval ) Northern Nigeria!

Ref:www.thenationonlineng.com

I guess all thses acts is in consonance with the Quran,they even had to wait for the Sultan!
OMG!

@lewa


You see what I have been saying. The messages in these Prosperity Bible Church can never touch this matter.

The evil one has possessed the soul of this people and they are agents of the devil. However our warfare is not Canal but they are Mighty through God.

I personally believe that God is keeping Nigeria together because of the Christian Minority in the Muslim North and I know people that are in the South ( I was before) that feel that we should seize to exist as a nation.

We need to go to the north to strengthen the brethren with the word of the Lord.

May God strengthen the Brethren Amen!

This story can not possibly be true, someone is only trying to be mischievious. No where in the world can this thing happen particularly sokoto where we have the largest concentration of churches in the heart of a muslims city. Ahmadu Bello way in sokoto has more churches than mosque located along that route.

Kevin Aje can not be so ungrateful to the harmonious relationship he is enjoying since his installation in front of my family house, when i was just a little kids. i can remember dancing and running around with the celebration train then.

The point is sokoto remains the most tolerant muslims city in the whole country.

Backslider:

@lewa
You see what I have been saying. The messages in these Prosperity Bible Church can never touch this matter.
The evil one has possessed the soul of this people and they are agents of the devil. However our warfare is not Canal but they are Mighty through God.
I personally believe that God is keeping Nigeria together because of the Christian Minority in the Muslim North and I know people that are in the South ( I was before) that feel that we should seize to exist as a nation.
We need to go to the north to strengthen the brethren with the word of the Lord.
May God strengthen the Brethren Amen!

1st @ Backslider,
You know what brother, I have been reading various of your posts and I'm getting worried about your so called spiritual state. You need to get back to reality and know what Jesus Christ is all about. His "message" is about Grace, Love and Mercy and not Fire and Brimstone, although His "judgement" is as a consuming fire.

You have a spirit of criticism; and one of the easiest ways for a true christian to know if he/she is under the leading of the Holy Spirit is to examine him/herself for the manner, way, reason and times that he/she criticises others, particularly of 'the faith'. This is an observation not just from the above post but very many of your posts in various topics. Stay blessed and watch carefully, lest he that thinketh he standeth should fall, bro!

belloti:

This story can not possibly be true, someone is only trying to be mischievious. No where in the world can this thing happen particularly sokoto where we have the largest concentration of churches in the heart of a muslims city. Ahmadu Bello way in sokoto has more churches than mosque located along that route.
Kevin Aje can not be so ungrateful to the harmonious relationship he is enjoying since his installation in front of my family house, when i was just a little kids. i can remember dancing and running around with the celebration train then.
The point is sokoto remains the most tolerant muslims city in the whole country.

Now @belloti,
It is quite interesting that you try to discredit this story by referring to the "number of churches in the heart of a Muslim city" and that "the number of churches on Ahmadu Bello way is more than mosques." While your assumption might be logical, it is absolutely not valid in this situation.
By constantly referring to Sokoto as a "Muslim city" points to a sub-conscious attitude of intolerance that educated folks like you can attempt to mask or cover, but the uneducated jammat in the heart of the "muslim city" who are in the majority are displaying it openly.

@batu


Yea Woe unto me if I preach not the Mind of Christ. I have hammered on the Judgment of Christ and Love of Christ. Because you don't Understand the love of Christ that why you say I am Judgmental.

IF YOU WERE GOING ON HIGH SPEED INTO A DITCH OR A BROKEN BRIDGE, I WAS JUST COMING FROM ALMOST ENTERING IT AND I WAS WARNED WILL I TELL JUST TELL YOU SMILING DON'T ENTER IT ?

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED.

THE TOTALITY OF SCRIPTURE IS SAVING FROM ALL SINS AND HELL AND HELL FIRE.

JESUS PREACHED JUDGMENT AND LOVE

YOU MUST NOW TELL ME WHAT ARE WE SAVED FROM?

This story can not possibly be true, someone is only trying to be mischievous. No where in the world can this thing happen particularly sokoto where we have the largest concentration of churches in the heart of a muslims city.

That it's a fabricated piece by me or some mischievious prank by some unknown journalist working for some clandestine anti-Islamic paper?
Boy!It's for real and if displeased go to the newspaper office in Abuja and register your complaint!So Sokoto is a Muslim city?That smacks of religious bigotry and intolerance dear?And if so then why do you deny the story?

Kevin Aje can not be so ungrateful to the harmonious relationship he is enjoying since his installation in front of my family house, when i was just a little kids. i can remember dancing and running around with the celebration train then.

Harmonious?The chap made an obvious unsentimental statement.Devoid of spin and which reflects the sad reality on ground.Good for you~you probably got carried away with the music and the band!I wonder if you would allow your child to do same now?

The point is sokoto remains the most tolerant Muslims city in the whole country

With your new Sultan making inflammatory statements?Belloti seems to me you forget that you're with your peers on the www now,not some uninformed peasants down in your village!Your posts lack objectivity and rather not surprised though.Northern Nigeria is still very much in the mediaval times,no doubt,its leaders prefer serfdom for its people and religious bigotry rampant!I await your response. Salaam!

Maybe you are yet to know this guy Bellotti and the typical Muslim way of denying valid news info.
If they killed Christians because of Danish cartoons and beauty contest,how are they incapable of forced conversions?
Even if corpses end up at his doorsteps,he'll still deny Muslims had anything to do with it.

A typical Muslim city in a country where we are supposed to be tolerant of one another.Go figure!!

is this for real

belloti:

This story can not possibly be true, someone is only trying to be mischievious. No where in the world can this thing happen particularly sokoto where we have the largest concentration of churches in the heart of a muslims city. Ahmadu Bello way in sokoto has more churches than mosque located along that route.

Kevin Aje can not be so ungrateful to the harmonious relationship he is enjoying since his installation in front of my family house, when i was just a little kids. i can remember dancing and running around with the celebration train then.

The point is sokoto remains the most tolerant muslims city in the whole country.

Please someone remind me. . . is there a christian city in Nigeria? Are we the islamic republic of Nigeria?
Of course Belloti how can the story be true, as long as it paints muslims in a bad (their true) light it must be false! It is not about how many churches there are on Ahmadu Bello way, it is about whether the worshipers of those churches are free to go about their daily lives without fear of intimidation!

What do you mean by a "tolerant muslim city"? Do you expect us to bow at your feet in gratitude for being tolerant of our faith?

mukina2:

is this for real

read the story for yourself

http://compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&length=long&lang=en&idelement=4800

That is the sole essence of my utmost disdain for Islam and all it represents.
Forced conversions has always been the modus operandi of Islam in Africa and Asia.It's nothing new.
In Egypt it's a daily occurence.Christian girls as young as nine are kidnapped,raped and forced to sign certificates of conversion,hijabed and married off to some perverts.
A pastors wife was even a victim.

mukina2:

is this for real

the typical islamic attitude of pretended surprise! Keep pretending to live in denial.

Too Sad a News.

The most annoying is that the police has to wait for the sultan to return before acting
Who knows what mental torture this poor boy has endured,hopefully he was not sexually abused too.
The kidnappers for the most part will only get a slap on the wrist afterall this is a muslim state and all they were doing was barely pointing some "lost" soul to the ways of allah,how wrong can that be?

This is madness in a country where people are meant to vote for leaders. When will we wake up and start doing the right things. If we cant do things right, we should break up.

I feel for the families of abducted children. What agony they have to endure. OMG

babyosisi:


Who knows what mental torture this poor boy has endured,hopefully he was not sexually abused too.

Ha Ha, We know there are some radical muslims no doubt. This your own is pawaful o. They are not crazy American or British Soldiers in Iraq

eiyahhh

abdkabir:

Ha Ha, We know there are some radical muslims no doubt. This your own is pawaful o. They are not crazy American or British Soldiers in Iraq

There's war in Iraq,is there a war in Sokoto?

Na u Sabi My Sister. Long Time. How u dey!

abdkabir:

Na u Sabi My Sister. Long Time. How u dey!

Na so those mallams dey greet madam until they kidnapped her son.

why are you always so charming?
I'm fine,kedu?

davidylan:

Na so those mallams dey greet madam until they kidnapped her son.

ROFL

belloti:

This story can not possibly be true, someone is only trying to be mischievious. No where in the world can this thing happen particularly sokoto where we have the largest concentration of churches in the heart of a muslims city. Ahmadu Bello way in sokoto has more churches than mosque located along that route.

It is this typical descent into denial mode that irritates people about the muslim community.There seems to be 2 breeds of muslim,those who deny incidents of Islamic extremism(the mainstream muslims) and those who passionately endorse it(the extremists).

Muslims always assert their opposition to extremism but there is no clearer way of showing opposition than by expressly speaking out against such particular incidents.The failure to speak out gives the impression that they are either, at worse complicit or at best disinterested.This feeds into growing Islamophobia,the existence of  which muslims are quick to point out but slow to address the root causes.

I was not suprised by this kind of reaction.We can't talk about religious harmony if one side has chosen to play the ostrich

@davidylan
Na u Sabi. What makes u think i'm a Mallam. What if i'm Ibo

@BabiOsisi

Tell me , who wont be charming to a Baby o Sisi? Thats the Spirit! Notin dey Happen! Odinma. I dey Here O.

@4play
Where do people like Moi Fall. U are gradually falling into the error of stereotyping Bro. Talke it easy my Bro.

Typical of islam and its adherents!

When September 11 happened tons of Muslims the world over were celebrating and jubilating even in northern Nigeria,shouting the muslim war chants of allahu akbar but they forgot that tens of innocent Muslims were victims of that tragedy.

What other religion would celebrate the death of innocent people?
Even Amadioha worshippers would mourn at such.
Then the next spin from the Muslim world was that it was a conspiracy,a conspiracy whne all the hijackers were Muslims.

When a Shia can slaughter a sunni praying in a mosque,do we expect that the the death of an infidel is worth anything?
In many sharia laws,someone who murders a Christians only receives a few strokes if any.He is punished more severe for stealing a piece of chicken.

looooooooooooooool

Secondary school pupils in north-eastern Nigeria have killed a teacher after apparently accusing her of desecrating the Koran, police say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6477177.stm

A female teacher has been murdered in cold blood for nothing

Like a typical islamist ostrich with its head in the sand, that must have been the fabrication of a mischevious journalist!