22-Year-Old Woman Faces Death Penalty in Zamfara for Converting From Islam to Christianity

Israel Adeleke 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that in a case that looks like an infringement of human right, a 22-year-old woman, Zainab Muhamadu, stands at the heart of a storm of faith, law, and identity in Zamfara State, where she is facing a potential death sentence after being charged with apostasy for converting from Islam to Christianity.

OTN News further reports as gathered that Zainab’s life changed irreversibly after meeting a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member known simply as Pastor Samuel, who had been posted to her community. 

According to family sources, Zainab had formed a spiritual connection with the pastor, leading to her eventual decision to embrace Christianity.

However, OTN News observes from the information gathered that her decision has come at a staggering cost.

Subsequently, authorities detained Zainab upon learning of her conversion. She is expected to appear before a Sharia Court this Friday, where she could face the death penalty under Islamic law, which criminalises apostasy, the act of renouncing Islam.

OTN News further observes that Islamic jurisprudence treats conversion from Islam as a grave offense. 

According to tradition, those accused of apostasy are given three days to recant. If they do not return to Islam, they face dire consequences. Even the children of apostates are not exempt; they remain Muslim by default unless they reach adulthood without returning to the faith — at which point they too may face execution.

Zainab’s trial comes against the backdrop of mounting support among some Islamic leaders for the enforcement of strict religious penalties. 

OTN News recalls that in April, the National Chairman of the Council of Ulama, Dr. Ibrahim Jalingo, publicly endorsed the death penalty for apostasy. 

Posting on Facebook, Jalingo cited a Hadith that reads, “Whoever changes his religion, kill him,” and defended it against critics, calling them “compound ignoramuses.”

In his post, Jalingo addressed the criticisms made by a man named Issiyaku Abdulkadir, writing: “First, I thank you for starting to bring me what this compound ignoramus refers to as ‘100 Hadiths that contradict the verses of the Qur’an.’ This will, God willing, allow me to expose his ignorance to the world.”

Zainab’s case is not isolated. In 2020, another 22-year-old, gospel musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, was sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy shared in a private WhatsApp message. 

That same year, 16-year-old Umar Farouk received a ten-year sentence with hard labour for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad during a disagreement with a friend.

As Zainab awaits her hearing, the weight of her decision presses heavily on her future. Her case continues to stir deep emotions, raising questions about faith, freedom, and the consequences of personal conviction in a region where religious law shapes life and death.