After spending 18 months in prison, Rhoda Jatau, a Bauchi woman who condemned the lynching of Samuel Deborah in Sokoto State, has regained her freedom, local sources have confirmed.
A reliable source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Punch Newspaper that Jatau was released on bail on Friday following interventions by the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council and the Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria.
Her release was also confirmed by an announcement by the International Organization for Peace and Social Justice, a UK-based non-profit that helped coordinate advocacy for Mrs Jatau’s freedom, on conditional terms Friday night.
“We have just received confirmation that Rhoda Jatau has been released on bail to her family today,” the group said. “To everyone who lent their voice, time, finance and resources to support the #FreeRhoda campaign, this is a ray of victory for all of us.”
Recall that REPORT AFRIQUE reported that Jatau had been detained since May 2022 on the grounds of blasphemy, for sharing a video condemning the lynching of late Deborah Samuel a student then in Sokoto state.
Deborah, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was brutally lynched to death after advising colleagues against sending religious materials on a class WhatsApp group.
Mrs Jatau, a mother of five and healthcare worker, would be expected back in court on November 19 to continue standing trial over the blasphemy charges brought by Bauchi government, according to her lawyers.
Previous application for bails were denied by the court leading her to spend 18 months behind bars.
500 women groups tell FG to drop charges against Rhoda Jatau
A coalition of 500 women groups asked the Nigerian Federal Government to drop all charges against Rhoda Jatau, facilitate her immediate release, and reassess laws that are misused to stifle freedom of expression and manipulate the persecution of innocent individuals.
The coalition staged a protest and addressed newsmen at media parley in Lagos on Tuesday, under the aegis of Womanifesto describing Jatau’s prolonged detention as an infringement on her fundamental rights.
The coalition also urged the Federal Government to provide adequate resources to enable the conduction of a thorough and impartial investigation into the murder of Deborah Samuel Yakubu, and hold the Commissioner of Police and the Ministry of Justice in Sokoto State accountable for pursuing justice on behalf of the state and the family of Yakubu.
This woman needs to be compensated for keeping her this long,what a country where evil prevail and no one can speak up if this lady was to be rich I guess she wouldn’t be in jail..the rich keeps getting away from crime but the poor suffer for what they have less or no information about.
This is totally unfair. It time for Nigeria security agencies to stand up for the rights of Nigerians and stop every form of bribery and corruption. How will they feel if this ill treatment is being given to their loved ones? I do think these security agencies were our friends but reverse is the case. Please we’re all humans,nobody deserves to be treated like an animal. THIS HAS TO STOP!
This is too much