Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. (Hebrews 13:3)
A Christian mother in Borno State, north-east Nigeria, is serving a 14-year prison sentence because a Muslim woman she spoke to about Jesus decided to follow him. Her name is Liatu Samuel Dawa (some reports spell it Liyatu). Her husband, an evangelist, is in hiding. Here is what has been reported so far, what the charge actually was, and how the church can respond.
Photo: Liatu Samuel Dawa, shared by her husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman.
What happened to Liatu Samuel Dawa
According to Truth Nigeria, which obtained a certified copy of the judgment, Liatu shared her faith with an adult Muslim woman in Borno State. The woman later chose to become a Christian. At the trial she testified that nobody forced her and that she acted of her own free will.
That testimony did not save Liatu. Hon. Justice A. B. Kumdila of the Borno State High Court convicted her and imposed the maximum penalty: 14 years' imprisonment on Count 1, with no option of a fine.
Starconnect Media reported on 20 October that public outrage and calls for judicial intervention have grown since the sentence became known. The story reached a wider audience through a post on X that we also feature in our News section. No international wire service has covered the case yet.
The charge: Section 210 of the Borno State Penal Code
This is the detail that has lawyers alarmed. Liatu was not convicted under any law that mentions preaching or religion. Truth Nigeria reports that Count 1 was brought under Section 210 of the Penal Code Laws of Borno State, a provision about depriving a parent of the lawful custody of a child.
The woman who converted is an adult. Human-rights lawyer Samuel John told Truth Nigeria that the conviction has no constitutional basis: "No provision of Nigerian law justifies a 14-year sentence for a consensual religious conversation between two adults." He called the judgment "unconstitutional and deeply troubling."
Gavvs Katiya, chairman of the Gwoza Refugees Resettlement Initiative, said the ruling "weaponized her Christian conviction" and imposed a punishment far beyond anything Nigerian law justifies.
Liatu's husband goes further, alleging that the court applied a religious reading of the case rather than the statute. We cannot verify that from the judgment; we report it as his claim.
"I only advised her": Liatu's plea to the court
Before sentencing, Liatu asked the judge for leniency. The certified judgment records her words:
"I'm a mother. I did not intend to cheat the victim. I only advised her. That is all."
The plea was rejected.
Her husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman, in hiding
Liatu's husband, Evangelist Amos Suleman, told Truth Nigeria he spent months in detention himself before securing bail. Since his release, he says, local extremists have been hunting for him, and he now lives in hiding. The threats have cut him off from his wife; he cannot visit her in prison without risking his life.
"I'm on the run; my life is under threat," he said. "My wife is a good person. The young woman they claim she coerced is an adult. She testified clearly that no one forced her to accept Christ. Yet my wife is in prison suffering."
He has appealed to international human-rights organisations, religious-freedom advocates and world leaders: "I'm appealing to the world to save my life and my wife."
What Nigeria's Constitution says about freedom of religion
Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every person "freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance."
Two freedoms in that sentence meet in this case: the convert's freedom to change her religion, and Liatu's freedom to propagate hers through teaching. Rights advocates quoted in both reports say the sentence breaches both.
Nigeria is also a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, whose Article 8 guarantees freedom of conscience and the free practice of religion.
What the Bible says about suffering for sharing Christ
Liatu did what every Christian is commanded to do. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Paul asked, "How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?" (Romans 10:14). Telling a neighbour about Jesus is not a crime in the kingdom of God; it is obedience.
Jesus also told us what obedience can cost: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10). Peter wrote to believers facing exactly this: "If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name" (1 Peter 4:16).
Paul and Silas were jailed in Philippi for preaching, and the church prayed and sang (Acts 16:25). Peter and the apostles, ordered to stop teaching in Jesus' name, answered, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Liatu stands in that line.
How to pray and what you can do
- Pray for Liatu by name: for her health and safety in prison, for courage, and for her to know she is not forgotten (Hebrews 13:3).
- Pray for Evangelist Amos Suleman and their children: protection from those threatening them, provision while he cannot work openly, and a way to be reunited.
- Pray for the woman who believed. She has lost a great deal to follow Christ. Pray she is discipled and protected.
- Pray for the appeal. Nigeria's higher courts have overturned unjust rulings before. Pray for honest judges and a swift hearing.
- Share the story. International attention has helped other prisoners of faith in Nigeria. Share this article or the original reports with your church and on your platforms.
- Support groups that help persecuted Christians in Nigeria, such as CSW, Open Doors and International Christian Concern, which document cases like this and support families.
We will update this article as the case develops. For more on defending the faith and the freedom to share it, see our Apologetics section.
Questions this article answers
Who is Liatu Samuel Dawa?
Liatu (also spelled Liyatu) Samuel Dawa is a Christian mother from Borno State in north-east Nigeria. She is married to Evangelist Amos Suleman. In October 2026 Nigerian outlets reported that she had been sentenced to 14 years in prison after a Muslim woman she shared her faith with became a Christian.
Why was Liatu Samuel Dawa sentenced to 14 years in prison?
She shared her faith with an adult Muslim woman who then converted to Christianity. The woman testified that she acted freely. Justice A. B. Kumdila of the Borno State High Court nevertheless convicted Liatu under Section 210 of the Borno State Penal Code, a provision about depriving a parent of custody of a child, and imposed the maximum 14-year term with no option of a fine.
Is it illegal to share your faith in Nigeria?
No. Section 38 of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to change religion and to propagate it through teaching. Lawyers quoted in the reports say no Nigerian law justifies a 14-year sentence for a religious conversation between two consenting adults.
What happened to Liatu Samuel Dawa's husband?
Evangelist Amos Suleman says he was detained for months before being released on bail. He reports death threats from local extremists and now lives in hiding, unable to visit his wife in prison. He has appealed to international organisations for help.
How can Christians help Liatu Samuel Dawa?
Pray for her, her husband and the woman who believed; share the story so the case gets wider attention; and support organisations that document and assist persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Hebrews 13:3 asks believers to remember those in prison as though imprisoned with them.
Sources: Truth Nigeria (14 October 2026, reporting by Suleman Ayuba) and Starconnect Media (20 October 2026, reporting by Emmanuel Thomas). We will correct this article if any detail proves inaccurate.