12/20/2024 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) — Rhoda Jatau, a Christian mother of five in Nigeria, recently heard news that brought her great joy after two-and-a-half years of legal battles.
On Dec. 10, a judge in Bauchi state, Nigeria, acquitted Jatau of blasphemy charges stemming from her May 2022 arrest. Had she been convicted, Jatau would have served up to five years in prison.
Authorities arrested and charged Jatau with blasphemy days after she allegedly shared a video on WhatsApp that condemned the lynching of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Christian college student. Yakubu’s classmates killed her and set her body on fire because she shared the gospel.
Although Jatau did not create the video that condemned Yakubu’s lynching, prosecutors claimed that she had committed blasphemy by sharing the video. Following Jatau’s arrest, a mob of angry Muslims burned her home and others in her village.
Jatau already spent 19 months in prison before being released on bail in December 2023. Her trial continued until Dec. 10, 2024, when she was acquitted and her case dismissed. Jatau is now in an undisclosed location.
While in prison, Jatau and other Christians gathered daily to encourage each other.
“We set up a fellowship, and we did meet every day at 4 p.m.,” she told ADF International, who represented her during her trial. “That helped us. We study the Word of God. We discuss. We do many things. We fast together. We prayed together with others that were there. That was one of the good things that at least gave us courage.”
Jatau said she burst into tears when she learned she would be freed.
“I just gave God the glory that day,” she said. “I was so happy.”
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