Death of 13-year-old held in government care since 2019 prompts allegations of neglect and religious coercion
By Our Reporter in Kano
The death of a 13-year-old boy, David Tarfa, while in the custody of a Kano State government-run orphanage has raised renewed questions about the welfare of children transferred into state care following a controversial intervention in 2019.
Tarfa was one of 27 minors moved from the privately run Du Merci Orphanage to state custody after a police raid that year. Kano State officials have confirmed his death, though details surrounding the circumstances remain contested.
Former guardians of the child, alongside a human rights lawyer, allege that Tarfa was denied timely medical attention and that his death reflects a wider pattern of neglect within the facility.
They further contend that the children have been subjected to pressure to abandon their Christian faith while in state care.
According to accounts provided by Tarfa’s siblings and representatives of the Du Merci foundation, the boy reportedly complained of persistent stomach pain for about a week prior to his death.
They claim he was not taken to a medical facility during that period and was later found deceased in his living quarters at the orphanage.
● Allegations and Continuing Legal Dispute
The transfer of the children from Du Merci has remained a subject of prolonged legal and public dispute.
Emmanuel Ogebe, an international human rights lawyer representing the interests of the orphanage, has described the state’s actions as a form of persecution and religious proselytisation.
Central to these claims are allegations that some of the children were assigned Muslim names and restricted from practising Christianity.
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Concerns over the welfare of the children in state custody are not new. In 2020, several older children were reportedly released after protesting their treatment.
In a separate incident, another child, identified as Moses, was hospitalised for months following burn injuries allegedly sustained while in the Kano facility.
● Official Response and Legal Context
Attempts to obtain an official response from the Kano State Government regarding the specific allegations surrounding Tarfa’s death were unsuccessful before publication.
The state has previously defended its 2019 intervention, citing questions about the legality of Du Merci’s operations and the need to safeguard the children’s wellbeing.
The matter is further complicated by ongoing legal proceedings.
In 2025, a Kano State High Court issued a consent judgement ordering the release of the remaining children to the Du Merci foundation.
The state’s failure to implement that order has become a separate point of legal contention.
Tarfa’s family has reportedly been advised to liaise with the Du Merci orphanage regarding burial arrangements.
Meanwhile, calls from activists and former guardians for an independent investigation into the death and the immediate release of the seven children still in state custody have intensified.
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