Zamfara denies Sharia Court trial for alleged Christian convert
The Zamfara State Government has firmly denied reports claiming that a 22-year-old woman named Zainab is scheduled to stand trial in a Sharia court for converting to Christianity.
In a statement issued Tuesday by the spokesperson for the state governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the government described the report as “completely false,” attributing it to social media platforms aiming to stir unrest and drive web traffic.
“The attention of the Zamfara State Government has been drawn to mischievous fake news circulating about a 22-year-old Miss Zainab Muhamadu, who is facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity,” the statement read. “We want to categorically state that it is the handiwork of enemies of peace, who are hellbent on creating a tension where there is none.”
Idris emphasized that after thorough investigations involving all relevant authorities and security agencies, no such case was found to exist before any Shari’ah court in Zamfara State.
To further confirm the nonexistence of such a case, the state consulted the Grand Khadi of the Zamfara Sharia Court of Appeal. According to the statement, the Grand Khadi affirmed that there has never been any similar case in the state’s judicial history.
“The fake news, which was spread on social media by an online platform notorious for circulating unverified stories and falsehoods, is nothing more than a failed attempt to disrupt peace,” the statement continued, accusing the media outlet Sahara Reporters of originating the fabricated story.
Additionally, the government clarified that the image used to support the story was not of a Nigerian woman but of an American citizen named Aalia from Texas.
Calling it a case of “yellow journalism,” the government urged the public to remain vigilant against misinformation and encouraged security agencies to trace and prosecute the originators of the false report.
“We must all do our part to ensure the peace of this country,” the statement concluded.
