A prominent human rights defender and the Executive Director, Council for Affirmative Action, Mbami Sabka, has called on civil society organisations to unite for a court observatory on December 19 in Bauchi State for the continuation of the case of Rhoda Ya’u Jatau, accused of blasphemy.
Mrs Jatau, a mother of five children, has been imprisoned since May 22 for allegedly sharing a video condemning the lynching of a student, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, in Sokoto State.
Sabka said that the call for action stems from the continued detention of Rhoda Jatau, who had been held for 18 months.
Recall that Deborah, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was brutally 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.
Sabka expressed concern over what he called “delayed justice” and alleged that “selective treatment” was being meted out on Jatau.
“She is charged with inciting public disturbance, contempt of religious creed, and cyber-stalking. Jatau’s prolonged detention has sparked public outcry, symbolised by the trending hashtag #FreeRhoda,” he said.
Sabka emphasized the need for CSOs to unite against this “perceived violation of justice”, saying, “The call resonates with the broader public sentiment, as netizens on social media have condemned Jatau’s detention.”
He called for a “collective condemnation of both the selective justice against Jatau and the delayed justice in Deborah’s case.”
The rights activist added, “The court observatory on December 19, 2023, is envisioned as a unified stand against these injustices,” and called on all concerned parties to join hands in ensuring a fair and impartial legal process.
The Executive Director noted that the Council for Affirmative Action remained committed to upholding human rights and seeking justice for those who had suffered from violence and injustice.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Mrs Jatau’s husband, Ya’u Adamu, declined comments on the issue, saying that “it is my lawyer that will speak on the matter.”
Efforts to get the lawyer to speak on the issue failed as he told our correspondent that he would speak at a later time.
In a reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, told Sunday PUNCH that he could not make any comments on the matter because it was already in court.
“I can’t speak on the matter at the moment because it is before a court of competent jurisdiction. So, since it is before the court, speaking on it will amount to contempt of court,” he said.
The former Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Umar Sanda, had in May 2022, told our correspondent in an interview that Rhoda posted an article on social media which caused tension and eventual breakdown of law and order.
According to Sanda, before the police could intervene and calm the situation, some houses and shops were burnt.
Reacting, the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria in Bauchi State, Rev Abraham Damina, said it was not true that Jatau had been kept in prison without trial.
He said, “It is not true. She has a lawyer. How can someone say he has just been kept in prison without being taken to court?”
Damina told our correspondent that he would respond more on the matter later as he was in a hospital.
He has, however, yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.
