Court
Maiduguri, Borno State – A High Court in Borno State has sentenced Liyatu Samuel Dawa, a Christian mother from Gwoza, to 14 years’ imprisonment after she shared her faith with an adult Muslim woman who later converted to Christianity of her own free will.
Justice A. B. Kumdila imposed the maximum penalty under Section 210 of the Penal Code Laws of Borno State, a provision that addresses the deprivation of a parent or guardian of the lawful custody of a child. The court offered no option of a fine. Reports indicate the sentences on related counts (including concurrent terms of 14 years and 10 years) result in a maximum of 14 years in prison.
According to court accounts and a certified copy of the judgment cited by multiple outlets, the adult woman testified that she converted entirely of her own free will and that no one forced, induced, cheated or deceived her. Despite this testimony, Dawa was convicted.
Before sentencing, Dawa pleaded for leniency. “I am a mother. I did not intend to cheat the victim. I only advised her. That is all,” she told the court. The judge rejected the plea.
Dawa’s husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman, was previously detained for months in connection with the case before securing bail. He is now living in hiding after receiving death threats from local extremists in Gwoza and has been unable to visit his wife in custody in Maiduguri.
Human rights lawyers and advocates have strongly criticised the judgment. They argue that Section 210 has no application to a consensual religious conversation between two adults and that the conviction conflicts with Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the right to change one’s religion.
Lawyer Samuel John described the conviction as “unconstitutional and deeply troubling,” stating that no provision of Nigerian law justifies a 14-year sentence for such a conversation. Dawa’s lawyers are preparing an appeal, citing misapplication of the penal provision and breach of constitutional rights.
The case has drawn attention in Borno, a state long affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, where the Christian population in areas such as Gwoza has declined sharply since 2009. Rights groups and community leaders have called for intervention by the Christian Association of Nigeria, the National Judicial Council and other bodies, as well as for bail pending appeal.
The Borno State Government has not issued a public comment on the sentence. Dawa has begun serving her term.
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