– Liyatu Samuel Sentenced To Prison For 14 Years In Borno
Borno State High Court has sentenced a Christian woman identified as Liyatu Samuel Dawa, also known as Lami Samuel, to 14 years’ imprisonment in a case that has sparked widespread debate over religious freedom and the right to change one’s faith in Nigeria.
The case attracted public attention following reports that Dawa had shared her Christian faith with a Muslim woman who subsequently converted to Christianity.
According to accounts of the proceedings, the woman reportedly testified that she embraced Christianity voluntarily and was neither forced nor deceived into changing her religion.
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However, the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON) has cautioned against portraying the case as one in which Dawa was imprisoned simply for preaching to a Muslim or facilitating a religious conversion.
The Christian Lawyers Fellowship also disclosed that an appeal had been initiated against the judgment, urging Christians and members of the public to exercise restraint while the legal process continues.
The development has attracted reactions from Christian organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which expressed concern over the reported circumstances surrounding the conviction.
Liyatu Samuel Sentenced To Prison
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the association was particularly concerned by reports that the case involved the conversion of an adult woman to Christianity. He stressed the importance of protecting every individual’s constitutional right to freely choose and practise a religion.
The controversy has also renewed discussions about Section 38 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the right to change one’s religious beliefs.
