The Zamfara State Government has firmly denied widely circulated reports that a woman identified as Zainab Muhamadu is facing trial in a Sharia court for converting from Islam to Christianity.
In recent days, social media platforms and some blogs have been flooded with claims that the 22-year-old woman is scheduled to appear before a Sharia court in Zamfara on Friday to face charges related to religious conversion. The reports sparked outrage and concern over potential religious persecution.
However, in a statement released by Governor Dauda Lawal’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the government dismissed the story as “false, mischievous, and dangerous.”
He said the narrative was a product of unverified online reports aimed at stirring religious tension and misleading the public.
“The attention of the Zamfara State Government has been drawn to mischievous fake news circulating about a 22-year-old Miss Zainab Muhamadu, who is facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity,” the statement read.
“We want to categorically state that it is the handiwork of enemies of peace who are hellbent on creating tension where there is none.”
The government stated that it immediately engaged relevant security agencies and judicial authorities to verify the authenticity of the claim.
The Grand Khadi of the Zamfara State Sharia Court of Appeal reportedly confirmed that no such case has ever been filed or heard in any Sharia court in the state
Further discrediting the viral report, the state government revealed that the photo of the alleged woman being circulated online is not of a Nigerian citizen.
According to the statement, the woman in the image is named Aalia and is from Texas, USA
The Zamfara government expressed concern about the role of some online platforms in spreading misinformation.
“Media platforms that should provide the public with verified stories are becoming complacent, merely copying and pasting content from social media accounts eager for likes and comments,” the statement read.
Officials labeled the report as a clear case of “yellow journalism” and urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information that could jeopardize national unity and peace
The state government called on security agencies to investigate the origin of the story and prosecute those responsible for spreading what it described as “fake, misguided” news.