Womanifesto, a women’s rights advocacy group, has urgently appealed for the immediate release of Rhoda Jatau, who reportedly faced blasphemy allegations following her condemnation of the public lynching of Deborah Yakubu.
Jatau, a mother of five, has been held in custody since May 22, 2022, on accusations of sharing a video criticizing the killing of a student, Deborah, at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto. Deborah was tragically murdered after advising against sharing religious materials on a WhatsApp platform.
The suspects involved in Deborah’s murder, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, were apprehended and charged in May 2022.
During a press conference in Lagos on Monday, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Womanifesto’s Co-convener, expressed deep concern over the continued detention of the 45-year-old mother, who also works in the Medical Department of Warji Local Government.
Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi highlighted that a coalition comprising more than 500 women’s rights organizations, activists, advocates, and practitioners in Nigeria strongly denounced the unjust arrest and prolonged incarceration of Jatau, deeming it highly distressing.
She said, “It is unconscionable that the mob that lynched Deborah Yakubu, recorded the crime, and circulated the video on various social media platforms is allowed to roam the streets of Nigeria free, while a person who condemns their actions is held behind bars with no end in sight.
“It shows the unequal application of the law in Northern Nigeria and further contributes to tensions and distrust between Muslims and Christians living in Nigeria.”
She noted that Jatau’s trial had been deliberately prolonged by baseless adjournments, noting that no fewer than five scheduled court hearings had failed to be held since March 2023.
She added that Jatau had been denied bail despite having no criminal history and not being identified as a flight risk, while her family had to go into hiding due to threats to their lives.
She said, “All these point to a systemic failure of the Nigerian government to protect Deborah Yakubu, pursue justice for her murder, and protect the voices of Christian minorities in northern Nigeria in times of crisis.
“This sets a dangerous precedent and erodes the foundations of a just and democratic society. Condemning public lynching or calling on the government to prosecute offenders should never be a crime, and the Nigerian state should immediately seek to rectify this miscarriage of justice”.
