Judiciary
Boko Haram: Lawyer Questions Safety of Jailed Christian Woman, Raises Concerns Over Conviction
A Christian woman from a displacement camp in Borno State, Lami Samuel Dawa, also known as Liatu, has allegedly survived an assassination attempt at her home by members of a group described as “repentant Boko Haram” while serving a prison sentence over alleged religious conversion, according to a statement by her lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe.
Ogebe, who raised the allegations in a report on the case, said the incident had heightened concerns about the safety of Dawa’s family and the handling of her conviction by a Borno State High Court. The claims have not been independently verified.
Dawa’s husband, Suleman, said the family’s life had been shattered by her detention and the threats against them. He reportedly spent six months in prison in connection with the case and said he could no longer work because of fears of further attacks.
“Everything I have has been destroyed,” Suleman said, describing the impact of the ordeal on his family and livelihood.
He alleged that while he was detained, members of the group went to their home looking for their children. According to the account, the children had left before the alleged attackers arrived.
“If not that the children left prior to the arrival of repentant Boko Haram, they could have shot them,” sources quoted in the report said, adding that the alleged attack was not the first time members of the group had taken the law into their own hands.
Suleman also challenged the basis of his wife’s conviction, claiming that the adult Muslim woman at the centre of the case told the court that nobody forced or persuaded her to convert to Christianity. He alleged that the judge, A.B. Kumalia, distorted the facts.
The report further claimed that the divisional police officer who initially handled the case had released Dawa after finding her not guilty of the allegations, but that she was later rearrested following an order from the Borno State Commissioner of Police.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged discharge and rearrest could not be independently established.
Ogebe also raised concerns about the alleged role of former Boko Haram members who have been described as repentant, claiming that some remain armed and operate with impunity.
One source quoted in the report alleged that some former insurgents had been retained in security-related roles or returned to fighting. However, the report did not provide independent evidence to establish the broader claims about government support for such individuals.
Citing US Diplomatic Cable on Deradicalisation
Ogebe linked the allegations to concerns about Nigeria’s past handling of terrorism suspects, citing a confidential United States diplomatic cable dated March 20, 2008, identified as 08ABUJA538.
The cable, attributed to then-US Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Renee Sanders, described a State Security Service programme called “Perception Management”, under which terrorism suspects were reportedly released to selected traditional rulers and imams instead of facing trial.
The cable stated: “Under this plan, individuals are released from police or SSS custody and entrusted to ‘sureties,’ most of whom are imams or respected traditional leaders in the North.”
It said those released were expected to submit to routine monitoring, report regularly to the security service and abandon extremism.
The document also recorded concerns that the arrangement could allow suspects who might have planned attacks to avoid judicial proceedings.
“Post is concerned that this approach allows suspects who may have planned attacks to avoid judicial process,” the cable stated. “While SSS argues reform is culturally appropriate, lack of prosecution creates impunity.”
According to the material provided, 18 known terrorism suspects were released under the programme in 2008. The cable was subsequently reported on by media outlets following its publication through WikiLeaks.
However, the historical document does not, by itself, establish that the same programme continues to operate today or substantiate the specific allegations made in Dawa’s case.
Ogebe compared Dawa’s situation with that of Sunday Jackson, a farmer previously sentenced to death after killing an attacker in self-defence, arguing that both cases raised questions about the treatment of victims of violence within the justice system.
He also questioned why Dawa and her displaced family had allegedly not received adequate protection despite fleeing violence in Gwoza.
The allegations raise questions about the circumstances of Dawa’s conviction, the reported threats against her family and the status of the alleged attackers.
Responses from the Borno State Government, police authorities and the court were not included in the material provided.