Christian Mom Acquitted of Blasphemy Prices in Nigeria
Rhoda Jatau with ADF Worldwide lawyer Sean Nelson. (ADF Worldwide)
ABUJA, Nigeria (Christian Day by day Worldwide–Morning Star Information) – A Christian mom of 5 youngsters in Nigeria who spent 19 months in jail on baseless blasphemy fees was acquitted final week, based on authorized advocacy group ADF Worldwide.
Rhoda Jatau was imprisoned in Bauchi state in Might 2022 for allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp condemning the lynching of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a college pupil in Nigeria killed that very same month by a mob of Muslim classmates for sharing her Christian religion.
Jatau was granted bail in December 2023 and sought security in an undisclosed location throughout her trial. A choose in Bauchi state introduced her full acquittal final week, based on ADF Worldwide, which supported her authorized protection.
A Nigerian lawyer allied with ADF Worldwide who served as lead counsel for her, whereas sustaining anonymity for safety causes, expressed thanks for the result.
“After a two-and-a-half-year ordeal, together with 19 lengthy months in jail, we’re joyful that Rhoda lastly has been acquitted of any wrongdoing,” the lawyer mentioned. “We thank all who’ve been praying for Rhoda, and we ask to your continued prayers as Nigerians proceed to push again towards persecution.”
Jatau was charged with public disturbance (part 114 of the Bauch State Penal Code) and non secular insult (part 210), and conviction would have introduced as much as 5 years in jail. Judges repeatedly denied her bail and detained her incommunicado with solely intermittent entry to authorized counsel and members of the family throughout courtroom appearances earlier than she lastly obtained bail, based on ADF Worldwide.
A choose in Bauchi state had refused to dismiss the case regardless of a “no case submission” filed by Jatau’s attorneys when prosecutors rested on account of severe evidentiary issues, the group acknowledged.
“Jatau’s attorneys raised vital authorized failures within the prosecution’s case and argued that they’d not established the fundamental parts of their case towards Jatau,” an ADF Worldwide press assertion famous. “The grant of bail and ultimate acquittal adopted worldwide outcry over Jatau’s imprisonment.”
Blasphemy legal guidelines are a big driver of societal rigidity in a rustic of greater than 200 million individuals that’s cut up almost evenly between Christians and Muslims, ADF Worldwide acknowledged.
“These legal guidelines punish the harmless for expressing their beliefs, silence individuals from sharing their religion, and perpetuate societal violence,” the assertion learn. “Blasphemy legal guidelines all through Nigeria encourage brutal mob violence and inflict extreme hurt on minority Muslims, Christian converts and others.”
Sean Nelson, authorized counsel for ADF Worldwide, expressed thanks for the top of the Jatau’s ordeal.
“We’re grateful to God for Rhoda’s full acquittal and an finish to the ordeal she has endured for a lot too lengthy,” Nelson mentioned. “No particular person ought to be punished for peaceable expression, and we’re grateful that Rhoda Jatau has been absolutely acquitted. However Rhoda ought to by no means have been arrested within the first place. We’ll proceed to hunt justice for Christians and different spiritual minorities in Nigeria who’re unjustly imprisoned and affected by the draconian blasphemy legal guidelines.”
Jatau was working as head of Major Healthcare Centre in Warji when the Christian college pupil in Sokoto was killed on Might 12, 2022. A video clip condemning the mob killing and burning of Yakubu’s physique appeared on social media, and outraged Muslims in Warji accused Jatau of sharing the video and attacked the Evangelical Church Profitable All (ECWA) congregation the place she was in a worship service.
The ECWA church constructing was destroyed together with properties of different Christians in Warji city, some Christians had been injured, and Jatau was arrested by personnel of the Division of State Providers, the federal government’s secret service.
Nigeria remained the deadliest place on this planet to observe Christ, with 4,118 individuals killed for his or her religion from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, based on Open Doorways’ 2024 World Watch Checklist (WWL) report. Extra kidnappings of Christians than in every other nation additionally came about in Nigeria, with 3,300.
Nigeria was additionally the third highest nation in variety of assaults on church buildings and different Christian buildings equivalent to hospitals, colleges, and cemeteries, with 750, based on the report.
Within the 2024 WWL of the international locations the place it’s most tough to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, because it was within the earlier 12 months.
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