Christian Mother of 5 Finally Released and Acquitted After 19 Months in Prison on Blasphemy Charges

• Rhoda Jatau, a Nigerian Christian, has been acquitted after spending 19 months in prison on blasphemy charges for allegedly sharing a “blasphemous” video
• Her case, supported by ADF International, underscores the dangers of blasphemy laws and the ongoing struggle for religious freedom in Nigeria
• This verdict comes amid a climate where Nigeria is considered highly perilous for Christians, with significant numbers killed due to their faith

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.

Christain Mother of 5 Acquitted After 19 Months in Prison on Blasphemy Charges in BauchiSource: Getty Images

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.

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