One of the Du Merci orphans held by Kano State Government despite a consent judgment where it had agreed to return them to the Christian orphanage in March 2025 has died in their custody.

This tragic turn of events comes 10 months after Kano officials allegedly physically threatened U.S. humanitarian observers during the botched handover of the children on March 19 when Hon. Amina S. Abdullahi Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs, Children & Disabled refused to release the children despite their own consent court order to that effect.

Orphan Moses taken from Du Merci orphanage by the Kano government and burnt previously in their custody

According to International Human Rights Lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe in an e-mail to News Express yesterday, Thursday, January 29, 2026, “On Christmas Day 2019, the Kano State government unceremoniously packed the children of the orphanage and deposited them in a Muslim-run orphanage where they have been indoctrinated in Islam and given Islamic names, so this is a clear case of State persecution and State proselytization of children. The then governor of Kano State, Ganduje was recorded on video paying money to two Christian girls to convert to Islam, so the evidence is replete about what is happening in Kano.

“One of the children abducted from the Du Merci orphanage and placed in a Muslim-run orphanage, previously suffered massive burns on his body because of a fire blaze. This was the action of a government that took them away from an orphanage where they are receiving good feeding, good education to where they’ve been abused and converted in this orphanage. As if this was not bad enough, the Du Merci orphanage in Kaduna State was demolished by the Kaduna State government under El Rufai. So we expected the new government of Kano state to right the wrong of their predecessors only for worse to happen. Now after violating a final court judgement for their release, one of the children has died in their hands.”

Ogebe added: “The remaining eight children unjustly taken away from two Du Merci orphanages in Kaduna and Kano had just spent yet another Christmas in the govt orphanage in Kano last month – their 6th so far.

“While details are still being awaited, initial reports indicate that David Tarfa (13 years old) had complained of stomach ache for a week but was not taken to the hospital by the government orphanage. His siblings returned from school yesterday and discovered him dead in excreta, sparking concerns of gross negligence.

“The Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs had previously abandoned 2 sick kids in a private hospital and in 2020 released some children to Christian Association of Nigeria because the children were rebelling for not being allowed to attend church and school. The eldest orphan who was caring for and protecting the younger ones was sent out of the Nassarawa Orphanage in December, 2020.

“All together eight of the seized 27 children remain in their custody and with the death of 13-year-old David, the held orphans are now seven.

“They are being illegally detained by Kano state despite the dismissal of bogus child-trafficking charges against the missionary who established Du Mercy Orphanages – Prof Solomon Tarfa – years ago.

“Worst of all, the children had been neglected, abused and islamized.

“In addition to the late David who was renamed Dauda, others are: - Emmanuel whose name was changed to “Ismail”,

“Destiny changed to “Samaila”,

“Mercy changed to “Amina,”

“Martha changed to “Khadijat,”and

“Esther changed to “Fatima.”

“The children were reportedly emaciated, unkempt and traumatized. Some of the children could no longer speak English fluently communicating more in Hausa having also been deeply indoctrinated with quoran recital in Arabic.

“Ironically the same state government that is investigating the death of a Kano woman, in whose stomach a hospital negligently left scissors after surgery, is now suspected of neglecting teenage David Tarfa also fatally.

“Kano who hosts the majority of Nigeria’s 10+ million out-of-school children, deported tens of thousands of Muslim almajiri street urchins after utilizing them as underaged voters in the 2019 election rigging, did not takeover these Muslim kids as it did with the Du Merci orphans.

Said lawyer Ogebe: “It is highly unfortunate that at a time when the nation is grappling with the horrors of medical malpractice as alleged in the tragic death of renowned author Chimamanda’s son during a Christmas home visit, Kano government continued to withhold captive orphans, from a Christian orphanage where they were lovingly nurtured and well-cared for, until David died.

“Instead of joining hands to help mitigate Nigeria’s shameful ranking as the country with the most out of school children in the world, Kano has put Nigeria on CPC radar.

“We call on the Kano State government and the Federal Govt to immediately free the Du Merci orphans which they should have done since the acquittal of Prof Solo Tarfa on the abduction charges by the High Court of Kano since June 24, 2021.

“We especially recall the case of Moses one of the orphans who was burnt in the Kano State orphanage and hospitalized for seven months and did not receiving proper medical post op care https://www.csw.org.uk/2021/11/09/press/5474/article.htm

“Having released eight of the orphans some months ago who have since returned to the very Du Mercy orphanage they were taken from, there is simply no basis, in law, fact or logic, for Kano state to continue to illegally detain the remaining seven orphans. Kano State must RELEASE the Du Mercy kids rather than allow them die in its hands. Even Boko Haram terrorists provided medical assistance to Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls in captivity.

“We also want to caution Kano State about the case of a Christian bride forcefully abducted by Hisbah from her wedding a few days ago. Sadly Kano state even after Governor Ganduje continues to constitute itself as the most religiously intolerant, aggressive and malicious state in Nigeria. This only puts Nigeria on track for redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern for year 2027. $9 million lobby and image laundry contracts cannot bring him back to life or bury persecution facts. Why the political class are switching parties, commoners are dying.

“In conclusion we call on the mother of the late Dauda Tarfa named Irene Kanthiok Zamani from Zangon Kataf, Kaduna state to contact Du Merci orphanage immediately regarding burial arrangements and last respects for her son. Our condolences to her and the Du Merci orphanage family,” Ogebe further said.

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