A Borno State High Court has sentenced a Christian woman to 14 years’ imprisonment in a case involving allegations of interfering with a Muslim woman’s conversion to Christianity.
The woman, identified as Lami Samuel Dawa, was convicted under Section 210 of the Borno State Penal Code for depriving a parent of the lawful custody of his child.
The case arose from allegations that Dawa influenced a Muslim woman to abandon Islam and embrace Christianity. The woman reportedly told the court that she converted voluntarily and was neither forced nor deceived into changing her religion.
Dawa’s lawyers challenged the conviction, arguing that the woman at the centre of the case was an adult capable of making independent decisions about her religious beliefs.
They also questioned the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that Dawa did not consent to being tried under Sharia law.
The defence further argued that the conviction violated Section 38 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Dawa’s lawyers have initiated an appeal against the judgment, challenging the application of Section 210 of the state’s Penal Code.
Meanwhile, the case has attracted reactions from Christian organisations, including the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON).
PFN National Secretary, Bishop David Bakare, urged Nigerians to exercise caution in discussing the case, saying preliminary investigations by the fellowship suggested that some details circulating publicly did not accurately represent the circumstances.
He said the organisation was monitoring the matter and welcomed the decision to appeal the conviction.
Similarly, Ephraim Yidawi, chairman of CLASFON’s Maiduguri branch, disclosed that the case involved five allegations, including conspiracy to abduct a child, inducing a child to leave parental custody, depriving the child of access to education and interfering with her religious practice.
Yidawi said CLASFON represented Dawa and four other defendants during the trial, adding that the other defendants were discharged and acquitted.
He said Dawa was convicted on the charge of depriving a parent of the lawful custody of his child.
The judgment was delivered on May 5, 2026, by Justice A. B. Kumdila.
Dawa’s husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman, has also reportedly expressed concerns about his safety, saying repeated death threats from local extremists had forced him into hiding and prevented him from visiting his wife in prison.
In her plea for leniency, Dawa reportedly told the court: “I’m a mother. I did not intend to cheat the victim. I only advised her. That is all.“
