By Sam Kayode
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has been called upon to release unconditionally Rhoda Jatau from indefinite detention.
The call was made by a conglomerate of civil societies within the middle belt region of Nigeria for the release of Rhoda Jatau, whom they described as a prisoner of conscience and human rights activist who has been detained without trial since May 2022.
Her ordeal started when she was said to have forwarded a Whatsapp message condemning the killing of a late student Deborah Yakubu who died in a College in Sokoto where she was studying last year.
Deborah Yakubu was stoned to death by irate students who chased her to her hideout on campus tried her in their own way and took the law into their hands by stoning her to death.
On the strength of what she forwarded condemning the killing of the young lady, she was accused of inciting blasphemy against the Muslim prophet Muhammed.
Since the incident Rhoda Jatau who was equally rescued from a fanatic mob had been detained in the Bauchi correctional centre opposite Fadar sarkin.
She is charged with intentional breach of the peace in the Warji community on May 20, 2022, which led to the warji crisis in Bauchi state last year.
The civil society who want the lady released unconditionally claimed that the ” governor directed her continued detention on discretionary powers, abuse of power and abuse of office.
” When the event occured the DSS of Warji council area, took her to Bauchi as directed by their superiors and from there she was taken to the correctional centre.
” She was detained and arraigned in High Court 12 in Bauchi. The trial judge refused her bail and even hearing until we threatened to appeal to another court between Nov and December. That was when she ordered fir the hearing of the case which has started. She is accused of sharing the video to breach peace.
She has been in custody since last year till date.
The incident actually happened as a result of the clash between Muslims and Christians in Warji council area which is predominantly Christian dominated.
Trouble started for madam Jatau when she was identified as the trouble maker who sparked the crisis after she was rescued by security from the mob and they took her to court and then to prison where she has been since last year.
“The Governor gave directives for her to remain in prison having insisted that she was a trouble maker because she is defending her right to association since early last year. She was charged with disturbance of public peace and was dragged to court then sent to prison. Rhoda Jatau was also charged for blasphemy.
The summary of Jatau’s charges include “inciting public disturbance; exciting contempt of religious creed; and cyber stalking” under Sections 114, 210 of the Penal Code Law and Section 24 subsection 1b(i) of Cybercrime Prohibition Prevention Act 2015 Laws.”