FACT CHECK: Is Zamfara Woman Facing Death Penalty for Converting to Christianity?
Claim:
A viral post and accompanying media reports claim that a 22-year-old woman named Zainab Muhamadu is facing a possible death sentence in Zamfara State after allegedly being charged with apostasy in a Shari’a Court for converting from Islam to Christianity.
According to The Guardian, Zainab’s alleged ordeal began after she converted to Christianity under the influence of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, identified only as Pastor Samuel, who was posted to her community. The newspaper ran the headline: “Zamfara Woman Faces Death Penalty for Converting to Christianity.”
Reports claimed that Zainab developed a spiritual relationship with the pastor, which eventually led her to renounce Islam.
Legal experts and human rights advocates reacted to the story by describing the alleged prosecution as a gross violation of Nigeria’s constitutional right to freedom of religion.
Verification:
To verify the claim, PRNigeria reviewed several reputable media platforms. It found that, apart from The Guardian, a few other media outlets published similar reports. However, some of these platforms—such as Sahara Reporters—later deleted their stories, raising questions about the credibility of the initial information.
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Further checks revealed that the Zamfara State Government had issued an official rebuttal. According to Politics Digest, which did not report the claim, the government described the story as “false and misleading,” and accused its peddlers of attempting to incite religious tension.
Evidence:
There is no verifiable evidence that Zainab Muhamadu was arrested or is undergoing trial in any Shari’a court in Zamfara.
The photograph used in the viral posts and reports was traced to Aalia Reeves, a Muslim content creator based in the United States. Contrary to the claim, Aalia has never been to Nigeria and has no connection with Zamfara State or any alleged apostasy case.
In one of her TikTok videos, Aalia recounts how her devotion to Islam helped positively influence her Christian mother’s perception of the faith—an account that directly contradicts the misinformation being spread.
PRNigeria‘s investigation confirms that the image was misappropriated and used to lend false authenticity to the claim.
Conclusion:
Despite viral circulation and amplification by a few media outlets, there is no credible or verifiable evidence that any individual named Zainab Muhamadu is being prosecuted in Zamfara State for converting to Christianity. The image attached to the story is of Aalia Reeves, a Muslim digital creator in the U.S., whose identity has been misused in the false narrative.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence that the Zamfara State Government is prosecuting anyone named Zainab Muhamadu for religious conversion. The claim is baseless and rooted in misinformation and identity theft. It is, therefore, FALSE.
By PRNigeria
