ABUJA, Nigeria — A Christian woman falsely accused of blasphemy and jailed for 19 months has been acquitted, according to the legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom International.
A judge in Nigeria’s Bauchi state disclosed in December 2024 the acquittal of Rhoda Jatau, ADF International announced and the news outlets Christian Daily International and Morning Star News reported.
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Jatau was arrested in May 2022 and was not granted bail until December 2023. She was accused of sharing a video on WhatsApp that condemned the May 2022 killing of college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu. Muslim classmates in Sokoto killed Yakubu for telling people about Jesus Christ. They then burned her body.
Angry Muslims not only said Jatau was responsible for the condemning video being shared, but they also attacked Evangelical Church Winning All in Warji while Jatau was worshipping there, the news outlets state.
Avoided 5-year sentence
The charges against Jatau included public disturbance and religious insult. If convicted, she would have faced a five-year sentence, states ADF International.
The Nigerian attorney who represented Jatau is affiliated with ADF International, the news outlets state.
Nigeria is No. 7 on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
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