After spending two-and-a-half years in prison and locked in a legal battle in Nigeria over charges of blasphemy, a Christian mother with five children has now been fully acquitted of all charges. It’s going to be a very Merry Christmas for Rhoda Jatau and her family this year. I can’t think of a better gift and evidence of God’s grace than a mother reunited with her kids.
A judge in Bauchi State court has acquitted Jatau, according to an announcement that was made on Thursday by a legal advocacy group known as ADF International, which backed her in the case. She was officially charged under sections 114, a public disturbance, and 210, a religious insult, of the Bauchi State Penal Code and if she had been convicted, faced a five-year prison sentence.
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Jatau was initially detained in May 2022 on allegations of blasphemy after she shared a WhatsApp video condemning the lynching of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Nigerian university student who was brutally murdered and set on fire by her classmates for professing her Christian faith, said ADF International. Throughout her imprisonment, Jatau endured repeated denials of bail and was held incommunicado, having limited access to legal counsel and family members during court appearances. Her lawyers consistently argued that the prosecution had failed to establish the basic elements of the case against her, citing significant legal shortcomings in their approach.
“After a two-and-a-half-year ordeal, including 19 long months in prison, we are happy that Rhoda finally has been acquitted of any wrongdoing,” stated the Nigerian ADF International allied lawyer who served as lead counsel on Jatau’s case.
In December 2023, Jatau was granted bail, however, she was forced to remain at an undisclosed location until the completion of the trial. Her final acquittal comes as more and more religious freedom organizations have applied pressure to nations and governments that are oppressing Christians.
“We are thankful to God for Rhoda’s full acquittal and an end to the ordeal she has endured for far too long,” stated Sean Nelson, legal counsel for ADF International. “No person should be punished for peaceful expression, and we are grateful that Rhoda Jatau has been fully acquitted.”
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Nelson then made it clear that “Rhoda should never have been arrested in the first place.”
“We will continue to seek justice for Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria who are unjustly imprisoned and plagued by the draconian blasphemy laws,” he proclaimed.
“In Nigeria, blasphemy laws are often used to target religious minorities. Advocates say blasphemy laws contribute to societal tensions in a country of more than 200 million people, nearly evenly split between Christians and Muslims,” the report explained.
In October 2023, the United Nations drafted a letter of allegation against the Nigerian government, condemning blasphemy laws as violations of human rights and pointed out injustice of Jatau’s detention.