Defence Statement on Behalf of Zainab Muhamadu

Distinguished Members of the Court, Esteemed Citizens of Nigeria, Members of the Press, and the Watching Eyes of the Global Community,

We gather here today not merely for the defence of a young woman but for the defence of the soul of a nation.

We are compelled by conscience, bound by law, and driven by a common humanity to raise our voices in defense of Zainab Muhamadu, a 22-year-old Nigerian citizen who now faces the gravest punishment imaginable—death—not for any act of terrorism, theft, or violence, but simply for exercising her right to believe.

Her “crime,” if we may dare use that term, is conversion—the peaceful decision to adopt Christianity.

Let the truth be stated without ambiguity: Zainab is not on trial for breaking any national law. She is on trial for having faith.

This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is not justice. It is persecution. And it demands not only a legal response, but a moral awakening.

Let us begin with the supreme law of this land—the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our collective covenant. Section 38(1) of this Constitution states, and I quote:

“Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief…”

This provision is not optional. It is not regional. It is not suspended by religious sentiment or political convenience.

It is the bedrock of our democracy, binding on every citizen, every institution, and yes—even this court.

What then are we doing here?

Why is a Nigerian citizen being tried and threatened with death for doing what the Constitution expressly guarantees?

Zainab’s decision to change her religion was not an act of rebellion or provocation.

It was an intimate, deeply personal journey.

Her conversion did not call for violence, nor did it come with any public condemnation of her former religion.

It was born of conviction, spiritual awakening, and love.

These are qualities we should revere in a human being—not punish.

We must also confront the dangerous legal contradiction in this case: Zainab is now a Christian.

She no longer identifies with the Islamic faith.

Therefore, applying Sharia law to try her for apostasy not only violates her rights under the Constitution—it undermines the very logic of religious freedom.

You cannot use the laws of a religion to punish someone who no longer subscribes to that religion.

This is jurisdictional overreach of the highest order.

It is equivalent to forcing someone who has renounced citizenship of a country to stand trial under that country’s laws.

It is legally untenable, morally indefensible, and constitutionally absurd.

Furthermore, Nigeria is a signatory to multiple international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

These treaties reaffirm the inalienable rights of individuals to freedom of religion and belief.

As a sovereign nation, Nigeria cannot uphold these treaties abroad while violating them at home.

We cannot continue to pretend that this is a minor domestic issue. It is not.

It is a national test of justice, a global test of Nigeria’s credibility, and a historical test of our collective conscience.

If we fail Zainab, we fail every Nigerian.

We set a precedent that the Constitution can be ignored when it is inconvenient, that religious freedom can be revoked when it becomes uncomfortable.

We signal to the world that the lives of Nigerian women—especially those who think for themselves—are expendable.

We cannot allow this. Not in this generation. Not in any.

To the court, I urge you: rise above the pressure of extremists.

Rise above cultural compulsion and defend the Constitution you are sworn to uphold.

This trial must be discontinued.

The sentence must be voided.

Zainab must walk out of here not in chains, but in freedom—because her freedom is a test of your integrity.

To the federal government: this is your moment to assert the supremacy of the Constitution.

This is your chance to tell the world that Nigeria is not a theocracy, but a democracy—where no religion dominates and every faith is free to flourish.

To the Nigerian public, I say: speak up. This is not just about Zainab. It is about your sister, your daughter, your neighbor, and your future.

If one citizen can be executed for choosing what to believe, then none of us is safe.

Silence now will be complicity tomorrow.

And finally, to the international community: do not avert your gaze.

Human rights are not confined by borders. If we allow this to happen in silence, we empower tyranny everywhere.

Zainab’s life hangs in the balance.

But more than that, the very idea of Nigerian justice is on trial.

What kind of country do we want to be?

One where the rule of law stands tall—or one where fear and fanaticism dictate who lives and who dies?

This is a defining moment. History will remember it. The world is watching.

We demand not pity, but principle. Not indulgence, but integrity. Not vengeance, but justice.

Set Zainab free. Uphold the Constitution. Defend our democracy.

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