Zamfara Government Denies Report of Lady Facing Death for Converting to Christianity
The Zamfara State Government has firmly denied viral reports that a woman named Miss Zainab Muhamadu is facing trial in a Sharia court—and possibly a death sentence—for converting from Islam to Christianity.
In a statement released by the spokesperson to Governor Dauda Lawal, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the government described the claims as “entirely false” and the product of deliberate misinformation aimed at inciting unrest.
According to the government, thorough investigations involving relevant authorities and security agencies have confirmed that no such case exists in any court, Sharia or otherwise, across the state.
“The attention of the Zamfara State Government has been drawn to a malicious piece of fake news alleging that a 22-year-old woman is to face capital punishment for changing her faith. Let it be clearly stated—this report is baseless and fabricated,” the statement read.
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Governor Lawal’s aide further revealed that the image circulated in the report is not of a Nigerian woman, but of a U.S. citizen named Aalia from Texas. The photograph, falsely linked to the alleged Zainab, was used to manipulate public perception and stir religious tension.
The report, first published by Sahara Reporters, has been widely circulated on social media and picked up by other outlets without verification. However, the Zamfara government has dismissed the story as a “clear example of yellow journalism,” accusing its promoters of seeking online engagement at the expense of national peace.
“The Grand Khadi of the Zamfara Sharia Court of Appeal has confirmed that no such case has ever come before any court in the state,” the statement emphasized.
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Authorities are now urging the public to ignore the misleading story and called on security agencies to track and prosecute those responsible for the disinformation.
“The aim of such fake news is clear—to provoke division, disrupt harmony, and tarnish the image of the state. We must all unite to resist such dangerous narratives and uphold peace,” the statement concluded.