Christian woman gets 14 years in prison after teenage girl converts to Christianity, but court records reveal another side

• Lami Samuel Dawa was sentenced to 14 years in prison in Borno State for enticing and removing a minor from her parents' custody, not solely for preaching her faith.

• Court records state Dawa helped a teenage Muslim girl, who had converted to Christianity, travel to Jos without her parents' consent.

• The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has appealed the conviction, while Dawa's husband, who was acquitted, is currently in hiding due to death threats.

A Christian woman in Borno State, Lami Samuel Dawa, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in a case involving the conversion of a teenage Muslim girl to Christianity.

The sentence has sparked controversy, with Christian advocacy groups claiming that the 38-year-old primary school teacher, Dawa, was punished for sharing her faith.

However, details contained in the court judgment indicate that the case involved allegations that she helped remove a minor from her parents' custody.

Justice A.B. Kumdila of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, delivered the judgment on May 5, 2026, in a case involving Dawa and four other defendants.

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According to a report by Muslim News Nigeria, which obtained a certified copy of the judgment, the defendants faced six charges, including conspiracy to abduct a child, enticing a minor away from parental custody, removing a child from lawful custody, depriving her of education and interfering with her religious practice and conversion.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants were involved in moving a Muslim girl, identified as Aisha Kabir Saleh, from her family home in Maiduguri to Christian institutions in Jos, Plateau State, without her parents' consent.

Aisha told the court that she was 13 and in Junior Secondary School 3 when she first converted to Christianity. She was 16 when she testified during the trial.

She also alleged that after returning to Maiduguri, Dawa helped arrange another departure from her parents' home, gave her money and provided clothes to help her change out of her school uniform before travelling to Jos.

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Dawa was subsequently convicted on three counts relating to enticing a child away from parental custody, removing her from lawful custody and depriving her of education.

She received sentences of 14 years, 14 years and 10 years, respectively. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning she will serve a total of 14 years.

The other defendants, including Dawa's husband, Evangelist Amos Suleiman, were discharged and acquitted after the court found that the prosecution had not established their involvement in the alleged offences.

The case attracted attention after the Christian Emergency Alliance claimed in an October 2026 post on X that Dawa had been imprisoned for evangelising to a Muslim woman who subsequently converted to Christianity.

The organisation also alleged that her family had gone into hiding after receiving threats from Muslims and called for her immediate release.

However, the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON), which represented Dawa and the other defendants, has cautioned against describing the conviction as punishment simply for preaching Christianity.

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The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has also urged Christians to exercise restraint while the legal issues surrounding the case are being addressed.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has raised concerns about religious freedom and constitutional rights. Its president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, confirmed that an appeal had been filed against the judgment.

Dawa's husband has also reportedly gone into hiding following alleged death threats, making it difficult for him to visit his wife in custody.

The Borno State Government, through its Commissioner for Information, Internal Security and Home Affairs, Professor Usman Tar, said it had no comment on the matter because it was before the courts.

Dawa remains in custody at the Maiduguri Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the appeal.

The case has raised questions about the application of child protection laws, religious freedom and the circumstances surrounding the teenager's conversion. The appeal will provide an opportunity for a higher court to examine the conviction and the evidence presented during the trial.