Aminu Adamu

What actually happened in the Borno High Court judgment involving Lami Samuel Dawa is very different from the narrative Arise TV and some of its anti-Sharia propagandists have been pushing. I shared the certified true copy of the judgment so people can read it themselves. The victim was a 16-year-old minor. The court found, on the evidence (including the first defendant’s own admissions), that she enticed the girl away from her parents’ custody, removed her, took her to Jos, and facilitated her discontinuation from school and placement in a Bible school; all without the parents’ knowledge or consent. In fact, it is in evidence that the convict gave a phone and sim to the minor and when she realized that her parents were already looking for her, she asked her to stop at Bauchi instead of Jos. Why not ask her to come back to Borno? Who gave her money to travel? Her parents? The convict? If this is not abduction, I wonder what this one is. The above is what the conviction rests on. The other defendants were discharged for lack of credible evidence. Sentences of 14, 14 and 10 years were ordered to run concurrently. As I explained earlier, this case has no root in Shariah. It was tried in the High Court of Borno State under the Penal Code Laws of Borno State 2023 and the Borno State Child Protection Law 2021, ordinary state laws on child abduction, removal from lawful custody, and related offences. No Shariah Court had jurisdiction over it. No non-Muslim was tried under Shariah. The charges and the reasoning come from the same child-protection framework that exists under the Child Rights Act and similar laws across Nigeria, not from Islamic law. Yet some people rushed to attack Islam and Shariah as if this were a Shariah matter. Sharing the actual judgment has already put the sensational version to shame. Anyone can now see the charges, the evidence, the findings, and the reasoning. It is no longer possible to reduce this to “a Christian woman was jailed for simply sharing her faith with an adult who converted willingly,” or to claim it was a Shariah trial. It is also important to state that the convict has right of appeal even upto the Supreme Court. So the matter is not completely closed. This is why verification matters before anything is shared publicly. Imagine if the certified judgment had not been in circulation. The false narrative would have continued unchallenged, further inflaming an already sensitive environment. The danger of such false narratives to our peace and to the integrity of the legal system is enormous. People should not jump on trends without the facts. Media houses have a responsibility to report accurately, especially on matters that touch religion, child protection, and court decisions. When they fail, the cost is paid by ordinary Nigerians who want peace and a functioning justice system. Enough of the propaganda. Enough of the anti-Shariah narratives.

Under the Child Right Act (Section 27) and Laws of different States passed to protect children, it is unlawful to take a child out of custody or protection of the parents or guardians without their knowledge or against their will. In fact, the Child Rights Act and Children protection laws prescribe upto 7-10years and 15-20years jail term for anyone found guilty of this. Also, under the Nigerian Constitution, Section 39, which guarantees right to freedom of religion forbids the spread of religious instructions against the will of that person or religious practices that are not approved by the parents or guardians. None of the above has any root in Shariah Law and No Shariah Court has jurisdiction over such offenses. Then I wonder where the people got the news from that the Borno woman was tried before a Shariah Court and under Shariah Law, to the extent that some of you here started attacking Islam/Shariah and by extension, the Muslims. Again, no Shariah Court has power over non-Muslims. No non-Muslim can be arraigned or tried before a Shariah Court, except such non-Muslims submit to the jurisdiction of the Court in writing. No doubt, we have had instances and cases of extremists under the guise of enforcing shariah take laws into their hands. They are not different from those who carry out jungle justice in other parts of the country. No law in Nigeria empowers a private person or citizens to make laws or execute laws without following the laid down legal processes or allowing the lawful authorities to do so. The closest we have under our laws is the power of private person to arrest upon reasonable suspicion of crime being committed or escape from lawful custody. In doing so, the private person is mandated to handover the arrested person to the lawful authorities and not take laws into their hands, It is also important to note that the existence of shariah court and its jurisdiction is clearly provided for under the Supreme Law in Nigeria, the Constitution and laws made by different states. This does not by any extension suppress the existence and application of the Constitution and other laws in the States. I have also said it repeatedly that any group of individual under the guise of any religion, including Islam, that wants to practice its religion and laws, must do so within the bounds of the existing legal system and the Constitution. Enough of propaganda. Enough of anti-shariah narratives.

Politics aside, AriseTV is an irresponsible media house that has positioned itself to promote lies, divisive narratives and employ incompetent and clueless individuals as public facing journalists. If nothing is done about their irresponsible media engagements, the danger they will do to public information dissemination will be beyond repairs.