PFN and CLASFON Respond to Christian Woman's Conviction

Lami Samuel Dawa, a Christian woman, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by Justice A. B. Kumdila of the Borno state high court on May 5, 2026, for depriving a parent of the lawful custody of his child under Section 210 of the state's Penal Code.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON) called for restraint among Nigerians, urging them not to spread unverified claims regarding Dawa's conviction, which many Christians perceived as religious persecution. Ephraim Yidawi, chairman of CLASFON, clarified that Dawa was convicted while four co-defendants were acquitted, and emphasized that the charges involved conspiracy to abduct a child and interfering with the child's religious practice, rather than solely focusing on religious conversion.

He confirmed that an appeal had been filed. Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, stated that the matter was a legal issue and he had no knowledge of it.