A Christian man in northern Nigeria has had his conviction for kidnapping two women overturned following an appeal to a Nigerian High Court.
Far from kidnapping the ladies, the supposedly guilty man was in actual fact helping them escape persecution following their conversion to Christianity.
The man, who was also tortured, was helped in his legal fight by ADF International.
David (not his real name) was targeted after he helped two female converts to Christianity relocate to a protected place. The women had faced death threats from their community and members of the family, following their adoption of a recent faith.
After successfully getting the ladies to safety, David and a fellow church leader were kidnapped by Islamist militants. They were held for 3 weeks and tortured before being handed over to the police.
While David’s companion was released after receiving legal assistance, David was subjected to a 3 day trial without legal representation. Legal advocacy group ADF described the trial as a “sham”.
David was found guilty of kidnapping, in addition to other charges, and was fined and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Following assistance from ADF, David was released on bail, and he appealed his conviction. Last month the High Court quashed the conviction and ordered the return of the high quality that he had paid. No state representative appeared in court to defend David’s conviction.
Nigeria, despite being a majority Christian nation, has increasingly grow to be a rustic of concern, largely attributable to its significant Muslim population. Attacks by Islamist militias are common and in 2022 around 5,000 Christians were killed within the country, greater than all other countries combined.
Sean Nelson, legal counsel for global religious freedom at ADF International said, “This case is a strong reminder of the urgent crisis facing Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria. David was tortured, prosecuted, and imprisoned simply for helping a girl escape violence due to her faith.
“We welcome the court’s decision on this case and pray that others won’t ever need to face what David went through. Protections for religious freedom must increase inside Northern Nigeria.”
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