Lagos, December 6, 2023: Womanifesto, an advocacy group for women’s rights, has called for the immediate release of Rhoda Jatau, who has been reportedly accused of blasphemy after condemning the public lynching of Deborah Yakubu. Jatau, a 45-year-old mother and a staff member of the Medical Department of Warji Local Government, has been in prison since May 22, 2022, for allegedly sharing a video criticizing the killing of a student in Sokoto State.
The student, Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level student at Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was murdered after advising against sending religious materials on a WhatsApp page. The suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, were arrested and arraigned in May 2022.
Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Womanifesto’s Executive Director, expressed concern at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, describing the prolonged detention of Jatau as worrisome. She highlighted the outrage and disappointment expressed by a coalition of over 500 women’s rights organizations, activists, advocates, and practitioners in Nigeria over Jatau’s unwarranted arrest and detention.
Akiyode-Afolabi criticized the unequal application of the law in Northern Nigeria, stating, “It shows the unequal application of the law in Northern Nigeria and further contributes to tensions and distrust between Muslims and Christians living in Nigeria.”
She pointed out that Jatau’s trial had been intentionally prolonged with baseless adjournments, noting that at least five scheduled court hearings had failed to be held since March 2023. Despite having no criminal history and not being identified as a flight risk, Jatau has been denied bail, and her family had to go into hiding due to threats to their lives.
Akiyode-Afolabi emphasized that condemning public lynching or calling for the government to prosecute offenders should not be a crime. Womanifesto urged the Nigerian government to rectify this perceived miscarriage of justice and ensure the protection of voices advocating justice and condemning violence.
