Jatau was imprisoned in May 2022 for allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp denouncing the murder of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a university student in Nigeria slain by Muslim classmates for sharing her Christian faith. Jatau was employed as head of Primary Healthcare Centre in Warji when Yakubu was killed. A video footage condemning the mob killing and burning of Yakubu’s body went viral on social media and the Muslim group accused Jatau of sharing it. They also raided Jatau’s congregation – the Evangelical Church Winning All service-, destroyed church property and attacked local Christian homes. 

Jatau was charged with public commotion and religious insult, which are serious accusations, punishable by five years in prison. Judges refused her bail requests and heavily restricted her options to legal representation and contact with family members.

Eventually, a judge in Bauchi state agreed to grant Jatau bail in December 2023. She was transferred to a safe area during her trial. Her attorney, working closely with ADF International, voiced his gratitude following a long legal battle: “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. We thank all who have been praying for Rhoda, and we ask for your continued prayers as Nigerians continue to push back against persecution.”

According to an ADF International spokesperson: “Jatau’s lawyers raised significant legal failures in the prosecution’s case and argued that they had not established the basic elements of their case against Jatau. The grant of bail and final acquittal followed international outcry over Jatau’s imprisonment. Blasphemy laws are a significant driver of societal tension in a country of more than 200 million people that is split nearly evenly between Christians and Muslims. These laws punish the innocent for expressing their beliefs, silence people from sharing their faith, and perpetuate societal violence. Blasphemy laws throughout Nigeria encourage brutal mob violence and inflict severe harm on minority Muslims, Christian converts and others.”

Sean Nelson, legal counsel for ADF International, also expressed his appreciation: “We are thankful to God for Rhoda’s full acquittal and an end to the ordeal she has endured for far too long. No person should be punished for peaceful expression, and we are grateful that Rhoda Jatau has been fully acquitted. But 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.”

Source: https://www.christiantoday.com