Ya’u Jatau, the husband of Rhoda, the Bauchi woman who was imprisoned for 18 months for alleged blasphemy, has expressed joy at his wife’s release.
Chronicle NG had earlier reported that Rhoda regained her freedom on Friday after being held in prison custody for 18 months for condemning the killing of Samuel Deborah in Sokoto State.
According to a reliable source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, she was released on bail after the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria intervened.
According to the Chronicle NG, Jatau, a mother of five, has been detained since May 2022 on charges of blasphemy for sharing a video condemning the lynching of a student, Deborah.
Deborah, a 200-level student at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, was brutally murdered after advising others on a WhatsApp page not to send religious materials.
The source did not reveal the bail conditions or which court granted Jatau bail, but did say that the Inter-Religious Council played “a key role” in securing her bail and release.
“Following the outcry from the Christian community in Nigeria over the continued detention of Rhoda Jatau in Bauchi Prison, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria have swiftly intervened in the matter.
“We are pleased to report that Mrs. Rhoda has been granted bail and subsequently released from detention today. We have high hopes that the case will end in praise. Let’s continue to keep her in our prayers. The leadership of NIREC played a key role. Praise be to our God, he told our correspondent.
Ya’u told our correspondent over the phone on Saturday morning that he couldn’t express how happy he was about his wife’s release.
He said, “I feel very, very happy that my wife has been released and is back home. I cannot thank God enough. I want to thank everyone who made this happen.”
“That is all I can say at the moment” he added.
