After spending nearly two years in detention without trial, for alleged blasphemy, Mrs Rhoda Jatau has finally been released.
Jatau was charged with blasphemy, public disorder, spreading propaganda and false or misleading ideas, Information, or materials by the police following a WhatsApp message she authored in the wake of the killing of Deborah Samuel.
The latter, a Christian, and 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was mobbed to death in the school for allegedly blaspheming Islam.
So, on May 20, 2022, authorities in Bauchi State arrested Jatau after riots broke out in response to the alleged blasphemous message.
She was accused of “inciting public disturbance; exciting contempt of religious creed; and cyber stalking” under Sections 114, 210 of the Penal Code Law and Section 24 subsection 1b(i) of Cybercrime.
Her release follows serious agitations by family members, colleagues, friends and CSOs across the country.
She was on Friday granted bail by a Bauchi State High Court sitting in Bauchi, which had earlier denied her the same thing.
It was gathered that the High Court presided over by Justice Fatima Jibrin, heard and granted the bail application brought before it by the Legal practitioner representing her, Barr Danboyi.
Report said, the order of the court, was facilitated by an executive order (directive) by the state governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
