SOWORE REACTS TO A NIGERIAN WOMAN’S 18-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE FOLLOWING HER PROTEST OF DEBORAH SAMUEL’S MURDER

Babatunji Wusu –

The release of Rhoda Jatau, a Nigerian woman on trial in Bauchi State for denouncing Deborah Samuel’s murder, is a demand made by Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress’ (AAC) presidential candidate for 2023.
After denouncing the lynching of Deborah Samuel, a Christian female student at Sokoto College who was falsely accused of blasphemy by Islamic extremists in Sokoto, Jatau was taken into custody by agents of the Department of State Services (DSS) in May 2022.

Jatau is accused of encouraging disobedience to religious beliefs, stirring civil unrest, and engaging in cyberstalking.

Since then, the prosecution has closed its case, but the trial took longer than expected to conclude, and the presiding judge kept delaying court dates, which hindered the defense’s attempt to submit its no-case argument.

After 18 months in custody, Rhoda Jatau’s no-case petition was dismissed by the Bauchi State High Court on Monday, according to the People’s Gazette.

The no-case submission means that, despite the fact that the allegations against Jatau are backed by little evidence, the court upheld the government’ legal ability to make such an argument.

Sowore demanded Jatau’s release in a tweet on Wednesday, arguing that there was no justification for her persecution given the lack of action taken against Deborah Samuel’s killers.

“The Bauchi government must free Rhoda Jatau immediately,” the writer stated. She has no justification for being persecuted; it’s already awful that Deborah Samuel’s killers went unpunished. Nigeria urgently needs to put an end to these infractions. NOW, #FreeRhodaJatau! Release every Nigerian who is unfairly accused of blasphemy and imprisoned for it.