Borno Court Jails Christian Woman 14 Years Over Alleged Conversion Of Muslim Woman, CAN Files Appeal

A Borno State High Court has sentenced a Christian mother, Lami Samuel Dawa, to 14 years imprisonment over allegations linked to the conversion of a Muslim woman to Christianity, a judgment that has sparked concerns about religious freedom and prompted the Christian Association of Nigeria to file an appeal.

Justice A. B. Kumdila of High Court No. 12 Maiduguri delivered the judgment dated May 5, 2026, convicting Dawa under Section 210 of the Borno State Penal Code, a provision relating to depriving a parent or guardian of the lawful custody of a child. The court imposed the 14-year sentence on Count One without an option of fine.

Dawa, who hails from Gwoza Local Government Area, was tried alongside four other defendants who were discharged and acquitted.

The Chairman of the Maiduguri branch of the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria, Ephraim Yidawi, whose organisation represented the defendants, cautioned against reducing the case to claims that Dawa was convicted simply for preaching to a girl or converting her to Christianity.

According to Yidawi, the defendants faced allegations bordering on conspiracy to abduct a child, enticing or inducing a child to leave parental custody, removing a child from the lawful custody of her parents, depriving the child of access to education, and interfering with the child’s religious practice and conversion to Christianity.

He said Dawa was convicted specifically on the charge of depriving a parent of the lawful custody of his child.

Reports indicate that the woman at the centre of the case testified that she converted to Christianity of her own free will and was neither forced, induced nor deceived by Dawa.

In her plea for leniency before sentencing, Dawa told the court: “I am a mother. I did not intend to cheat the victim. I only advised her. That is all”.

The case has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates. Human rights lawyer Samuel John described the conviction as “unconstitutional and deeply troubling,” saying: “No provision of Nigerian law justifies a 14-year sentence for a consensual religious conversation between two adults”.

Gavvs Katiya, Chairman of the Gwoza Refugees Resettlement Initiative, condemned the judgment as a case in which the court had “weaponized her Christian conviction”.

Dawa’s husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman, was also previously detained for several months before securing bail.

He is reportedly living in hiding following alleged death threats from extremists in Gwoza. “I’m on the run; my life is under threat,” Suleman said.

“My wife is a good person. The young woman they claim she coerced is an adult – she testified clearly that no one forced her to accept Christ. Yet my wife is in prison suffering”.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, in a statement issued by President Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said it had filed an appeal against the conviction.

“The case raises important questions about the protection of religious freedom and the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” CAN said.

“The Association believes that every individual has the right to freely choose, change or practise their religion or belief without coercion, intimidation or unlawful punishment”.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria also urged Christians to exercise restraint and avoid drawing conclusions without examining the court proceedings.

PFN National Secretary Bishop David Bakare said: “Our investigation shows that the case is not exactly as it is in the public domain, and I will advise that those commenting on the case should do a detailed investigation”.

The Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, described the matter as a legal issue, saying he was not aware of the case.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state, Bishop Naga Mohammed, were unsuccessful.