By Odesola JF., PhD
When religious freedom is threatened, the question is no longer about one woman or one religious community. It is about the soul of our nation.
There are some stories you read, express concern about and hope will receive the attention they deserve. Then there are stories that refuse to leave your mind. You return to them because something about them troubles your conscience. You ask yourself whether enough has been said, whether the right questions have been asked and whether silence might gradually make an unacceptable situation appear normal.
This is one of those stories.
This is actually my second article on the reported imprisonment of Lami Samuel Dawa, the Christian woman in Borno State whose case has generated serious concerns about religious freedom, justice and the protection of constitutional rights in Nigeria.
I have returned to this subject because I do not believe that the questions raised by this case should disappear from public discussion simply because the initial outrage has subsided. Some issues are too important to be abandoned after a few days of social media attention. They deserve sustained public scrutiny, responsible advocacy and, above all, justice.
Let me make something clear from the beginning: I am not arguing that anybody should be above the law because of religion. Neither am I suggesting that religious freedom gives anyone the right to abduct a child, deceive parents, commit an offence or violate another person’s rights. If a criminal offence has been established, the law must take its course.
But there is another equally important principle: nobody should be punished simply for believing in God, changing religious convictions or peacefully sharing his or her faith.
That is where this matter becomes bigger than Lami Samuel Dawa. It becomes a question about the kind of country we are building and the constitutional promises we have made to one another.
A human story that deserves our attention
Behind every court judgment is a human being. Behind every prison sentence is a life interrupted, a family affected and a future placed on hold.
When we discuss a 14-year prison sentence, it is easy to concentrate on the legal language and forget the human consequences. Fourteen years is not just a figure written in a judgment. It represents birthdays missed, family gatherings lost, opportunities postponed and years that can never be recovered.
The reported case of Lami Samuel Dawa has therefore raised understandable concern among many Nigerians, particularly Christians.
However, we must be careful to distinguish the different accounts of the case. Initial public appeals presented it as a situation involving a woman who helped someone embrace Christianity. Subsequent reports attributed to the court proceedings and Christian legal representatives describe the person involved as a 16-year-old girl who allegedly left parental custody and travelled to Jos, where she was enrolled in a Bible school without her parents’ knowledge or consent.
The reported charges included conspiracy, enticing a child away from parental custody and other related allegations. Reports also indicate that four other defendants were discharged and acquitted, while Dawa was convicted and sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. Her legal representatives have pursued an appeal.
These details matter. We cannot responsibly discuss the case without acknowledging them. Neither should we allow the existence of allegations to silence legitimate questions about the constitutional rights of the accused.
The issue deserves a careful examination of the judgment, the evidence, the applicable law and the circumstances surrounding the young person involved.
What does the Constitution say about our faith?
Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
It gives every person the right to change religion or belief and to manifest and propagate that religion through worship, teaching, practice and observance.
Read that provision again. It does not say that the right belongs only to Christians. It does not say that Muslims enjoy greater protection. It does not say that a person’s religious freedom depends on the state or community in which he or she lives.
It belongs to every Nigerian.
Section 36 guarantees fair hearing. Section 35 protects personal liberty. Section 42 prohibits discrimination on religious grounds, among others. Section 46 provides a mechanism for seeking judicial redress when fundamental rights are violated.
These are not decorative provisions. They are constitutional commitments that must mean something in the everyday lives of ordinary citizens.
If a Christian peacefully shares the Gospel with a Muslim neighbour, that person should not be intimidated or punished merely for doing so.
If a Muslim peacefully shares Islamic teachings with a Christian neighbour, the same protection must apply.
If an adult freely changes from Christianity to Islam or from Islam to Christianity, that person’s freedom of conscience must be respected.
This is the foundation of religious freedom in a democratic society.
When the judicial process must answer difficult questions
One of the things that concerns me about cases involving religion is the danger of allowing public sentiment, religious suspicion or social pressure to influence the administration of justice.
The courtroom must be different from the street. It must be a place where evidence matters more than rumours, where the law matters more than religious identity and where every accused person receives a fair opportunity to defend himself or herself.
There are several important questions that must be answered in the Borno case.
First, was the accused convicted for a clearly established criminal offence, or did the exercise of religious freedom form part of the conduct for which she was punished?
The distinction is fundamental. Peacefully sharing one’s faith is constitutionally protected. Kidnapping, coercion or unlawfully removing a child, if established, is a different matter.
Second, was the evidence sufficient to establish the accused person’s individual responsibility?
Being associated with a religious activity does not automatically make someone criminally responsible for everything that happens around it. The prosecution must establish the necessary elements of the offence and the accused person’s involvement.
Third, were the rights of the accused fully protected throughout the proceedings?
Was she adequately represented? Was she given an opportunity to challenge the evidence? Were the relevant witnesses examined? Was the burden of proof properly discharged?
These are not unnecessary technicalities. They are the safeguards that separate justice from arbitrary punishment.
Fourth, was the age and welfare of the young person properly established and considered?
If the person involved was indeed 16, the child’s welfare must be taken seriously. Parents have legitimate responsibilities, and the law must protect children against exploitation, coercion and unlawful removal from their homes.
But children also have dignity, developing understanding and constitutional protections. Their welfare must not become an excuse to disregard every other right.
Fifth, was the sentence legally justified and proportionate?
A 14-year prison sentence deserves particularly careful scrutiny. The court must have a sound legal basis for the conviction and punishment. If there has been an error in the interpretation of the law, the appellate court has an important responsibility to address it.
We must not assume that every unfavourable judgment is unconstitutional. But neither should we be afraid to question a judgment when serious constitutional issues arise.
The judiciary must never be beyond scrutiny.
Is this the Nigeria our forefathers fought for?
This is perhaps the question that troubles me most.
What kind of Nigeria did our founding fathers hope to build? Surely, it was not a country where a citizen would feel unsafe because of the faith he or she professes.
Nigeria is a country of many religions, languages, ethnicities and traditions. Our diversity should be a source of strength, not a permanent reason for suspicion.
Across northern Nigeria, churches are filled with worshippers. In southern Nigeria, mosques stand in communities where Muslims gather for their daily prayers. Christians worship in the North, just as Muslims worship in the South. There are also traditional worshippers and people who subscribe to no organised religion.
This is Nigeria.
In many southern communities, the early-morning call to prayer from mosques is part of the daily religious environment. People accommodate it as part of living together in a diverse society, just as other communities accommodate Christian worship and religious activities. Where genuine disputes about noise or public order arise, they should be handled through fair and neutral regulations.
The point is simple: we cannot demand tolerance for our own religious practices while refusing to extend the same courtesy to others.
A Muslim in Lagos is not less Nigerian than a Christian in Maiduguri. A Christian in Kano has the same constitutional citizenship as a Muslim in Ibadan.
One Nigeria must mean one constitutional protection for everybody.
Religious freedom must not become selective
I find it deeply troubling whenever religious identity appears to determine how people are treated.
We must be careful not to create a society in which one religious community believes that it can exercise its faith freely while another must constantly explain or defend its existence.
Imagine a Christian woman who decides to embrace Islam. Her decision should not automatically expose anyone to criminal punishment simply because she has changed her religion.
Imagine a Muslim woman who decides to embrace Christianity. Her decision should receive the same constitutional protection.
Imagine a person who chooses to leave organised religion altogether. That person is also entitled to freedom of conscience.
The Constitution protects the individual, not the popularity of the individual’s religious decision.
This is why the Borno case should concern more than the Christian community. It should concern every Muslim who believes in justice, every traditional ruler who values peaceful coexistence, every lawyer who respects constitutionalism and every Nigerian who wants a country where people can live without fear.
What should happen now?
The appeal in this matter deserves serious attention.
The defence team should examine the judgment carefully and pursue every legitimate legal ground available. The appellate court should consider the evidence, the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Borno State Penal Code, the constitutional questions and the proportionality of the sentence.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Christian legal organisations, human rights advocates and other concerned institutions should continue to monitor the case.
But I also appeal to our Muslim brothers and sisters to see this as an opportunity to demonstrate that justice and peaceful coexistence are values we share.
Nobody is asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment.
We must also protect the welfare and dignity of the young person involved. Her safety, education, freedom of conscience and future matter. Justice must not become a competition between a child and an adult. The law must protect both.
And to those sharing appeals for Lami Samuel Dawa’s release, I encourage you to share verified information, support lawful advocacy and pray for a just outcome. Let us avoid threats, insults and inflammatory language.
Our objective must be justice, not revenge.
We must not become tired of speaking about justice
Perhaps the reason I am writing this second article is that I do not want us to become accustomed to stories that should trouble our conscience.
We sometimes react strongly when a story first emerges. We share it, discuss it, pray about it and express our outrage. Then another story appears, and the previous one gradually disappears.
But the person at the centre of the previous story is still living with the consequences.
A prison sentence does not disappear because public attention has moved elsewhere.
A family does not stop worrying because social media has found another subject.
And a constitutional question does not lose its importance simply because it is no longer trending.
This is why I believe we must continue to ask questions, demand accountability and encourage the proper legal process.
I also believe that religious leaders have a special responsibility here. We must preach peace, but peace must never mean accepting injustice. We must encourage forgiveness, but forgiveness must not be used to excuse wrongdoing. We must respect authority, but respect for authority does not remove the responsibility to insist that authority operates within the law.
Conclusion: The Nigeria we must defend
I want to see a Nigeria where a Christian can openly profess Christianity in Borno, where a Muslim can freely practise Islam in Lagos, where traditional worshippers can live without intimidation and where nobody is discriminated against because of personal religious convictions.
I want to see a Nigeria where parents can protect their children without denying them their dignity, where religious leaders can teach without fear and where judges can dispense justice without pressure, prejudice or favour.
Above all, I want to see a Nigeria where the Constitution is not merely a document we quote when it suits us but a covenant we respect even when its protection extends to people whose beliefs differ from ours.
The question is not whether Christians should enjoy religious freedom. The question is whether every Nigerian should enjoy the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.
My answer is an emphatic yes.
If Lami Samuel Dawa has been wrongly convicted, the appellate court must correct the injustice and grant appropriate relief, including her release where the law requires it.
Fourteen years is a long time. Human life is too precious for justice to be treated casually.
Let us pray for her, her family, the young person involved, the lawyers handling the appeal and the judges who will consider the matter.
Let us pray for peace in Borno State and across Nigeria.
Let us also remember that the God we serve is a God of justice, mercy and truth.
We must never allow religious differences to destroy our common humanity. We must never allow the Constitution to become a stranger in the courtroom. And we must never allow silence to become our response when the fundamental rights of any Nigerian are in question.
May God defend the cause of justice, protect the vulnerable, strengthen our judiciary and preserve the unity of our dear country.
May Nigeria become a nation where everyone can live, worship and exercise their conscience without fear.
That is the Nigeria worth defending.
