Rhoda Jatau, a Nigerian Christian and mother of five, has been fully acquitted after spending 19 months in prison on blasphemy charges.
Jatau was arrested in May 2022 for allegedly sharing a “blasphemous” video on WhatsApp that condemned the murder of Nigerian Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, who had been stoned to death by her Muslim classmates.
The incident led to a mob attacking Jatau’s neighborhood, after which she was charged under sections 114 (public disturbance) and 210 (religious insult) of the Bauchi State Penal Code.
She was imprisoned for 19 months before being released on bail last December. Reflecting on her ordeal, Jatau said, “It was not easy, because I have missed my children,” noting that apart from her lawyer, she had no visitors in prison.
Legal Defense and Acquittal
ADF International, which supported Jatau’s legal defense, announced her full acquittal by a Bauchi State judge this month.
Jatau’s case drew international attention from human rights and religious freedom advocacy groups, highlighting the dangers and injustices of blasphemy laws.
Bauchi state, predominantly Muslim and one of twelve states in northern Nigeria to have adopted Sharia Law, has been at the center of such controversies.
ADF International has called Nigeria “the most dangerous country in the world for Christians,” noting that more Christians are killed in Nigeria than in all other countries combined.
Nigerians Clash Online Over Lekki Central Mosque
Legit reported that A significant uproar has been sparked on social media following the display of a banner at the Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos State, which boldly claims, “Jesus Christ is not God. He is a Prophet and Messenger of God!”
A significant uproar has been sparked on social media following the display of a banner at the Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos State, which boldly claims, “Jesus Christ is not God. He is a Prophet and Messenger of God!”
