Wrongfully convicted man, "David" / ADF International
A high court in Nigeria has defended the rights of a Christian man who was convicted, tortured, imprisoned, and fined after he helped two Christian converts escape death threats.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, a Christian legal nonprofit, stated in a news release that David, whose name has been changed for security reasons, was subjected to persecution because of his aid to Christians beginning in 2024. The court overturned his conviction and ordered the state to return the money it had forced him to pay.
According to the release, David was accused of kidnapping after he helped two adult women escape after they converted to Christianity. Both women faced death threats from their families and communities. Before they handed David over to the police, militants unlawfully held him captive, torturing him for weeks, ADF International reported.
David was convicted after a three-day trial that did not follow proper procedure and did not afford him legal representation in court. As a result of the trial, he was sentenced to nine years in prison, subjected to torture, and forced to pay a fine.
The lawyers who secured the appeal of David’s case to the high court were supported by ADF International. In the release, Sean Nelson, legal counsel for global religious freedom at ADF International, pointed out that the case highlights the persecution crisis that Christians and religious minorities are facing in Nigeria.
“David was tortured, prosecuted, and imprisoned simply for helping a woman escape violence because of her faith,” Nelson stated. “We welcome the court’s decision in this case and pray that others will never have to face what David went through. Protections for religious freedom must increase within Northern Nigeria.”
Citing John 3:16, David said in the release, “Despite the persecution in my community, I know that I have everlasting life.”
“This is our encouragement,” he continued. “My community and I, in the Christian faith, rejoice on account of the assurance of the Word of God. This is our confidence and peace.”
According to ADF International, Christians in Nigeria are often persecuted by terrorist groups and laws that restrict religious freedom. The legal organization said that roughly 5,000 Christians were martyred in Nigeria in 2022, and the number of Christians killed for their faith in 2023 is estimated to be more than 7,000.
As CatholicVote previously reported, religious freedom and humanitarian organizations have designated Nigeria as the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian.
