A lawyer representing Lami Samuel Dawa, a Christian woman from a displacement camp in Borno State, has alleged that she and her family faced threats from individuals described as “repentant Boko Haram” members.
Emmanuel Ogebe, the lawyer handling the case, raised the allegations in a report about Dawa’s conviction over an alleged religious conversion. He said the reported incident had increased concerns about the safety of her family and the circumstances surrounding the court’s decision.
The allegations have not been independently verified in the material available.
Lami Samuel Dawa’s Family Raises Alarm Over Threats
Dawa’s husband, Suleman, said the case had devastated his family and affected his ability to earn a living. He reportedly spent six months in prison in connection with the matter.
“Everything I have has been destroyed,” Suleman said, describing the impact of the case on his family.
He alleged that while he was detained, members of the group went to their home looking for their children. According to the account, the children had left before the individuals arrived.
Suleman claimed the children could have been shot if they had remained at home. The report also alleged that the incident was not the first time members of the group had acted outside the law.
However, the available account did not independently establish who was responsible for the reported incident or confirm the alleged assassination attempt.
Husband Questions Basis of Conviction
Suleman also challenged the legal basis of his wife’s conviction. He claimed that the adult Muslim woman at the centre of the case told the court that nobody forced or persuaded her to convert to Christianity.
He further accused the presiding judge, A.B. Kumalia, of misrepresenting the facts. These claims were presented by the family and have not been independently established in the material provided.
The report also alleged that a divisional police officer initially released Dawa after finding insufficient grounds for the allegations against her. It claimed that authorities later rearrested her following an order from the Borno State Commissioner of Police.
The circumstances surrounding the reported release and subsequent rearrest remain unclear.
The report contains conflicting figures for Dawa’s prison sentence, referring to both 14 and 38 years. The discrepancy could not be resolved from the available information.
Lawyer Questions Handling of Former Boko Haram Members
Ogebe also expressed concern about the handling of former Boko Haram members described as repentant. He alleged that some individuals who had left the insurgency continued to carry weapons or operated without adequate accountability.
The report included claims that some former insurgents had received security-related roles or returned to fighting. However, it did not provide independent evidence to substantiate these broader allegations.
Ogebe argued that the reported threats against Dawa’s family raised questions about the protection available to people affected by insurgency-related violence.
He also questioned whether Dawa and her displaced family had received adequate protection after fleeing violence in Gwoza, Borno State.
Lawyer Cites Historical US Diplomatic Cable
To support his concerns about Nigeria’s handling of terrorism suspects, Ogebe cited a confidential United States diplomatic cable dated March 20, 2008. The document, identified as 08ABUJA538, was attributed to then-US Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders.
The cable described a State Security Service programme called “Perception Management”. Under the reported arrangement, terrorism suspects were released to selected traditional rulers and imams instead of facing prosecution.
The document said those released were expected to submit to monitoring, report regularly to security officials and abandon extremist activities.
It also raised concerns that the arrangement could allow suspects who might have planned attacks to escape judicial proceedings.
According to the cable, 18 known terrorism suspects were released under the programme in 2008. The document later attracted media attention after its publication through WikiLeaks.
However, the historical cable does not establish that the same arrangement remains in operation today. It also does not independently prove the specific allegations in Dawa’s case.
Comparison With Sunday Jackson Case
Ogebe compared Dawa’s case with that of Sunday Jackson, a farmer who was previously sentenced to death after killing an attacker in what was reported as self-defence.
The lawyer argued that both cases raised concerns about how Nigeria’s justice system treats people involved in incidents of violence.
The allegations surrounding Lami Samuel Dawa’s case have therefore raised questions about her conviction, the reported threats against her family and the protection available to displaced people.
The material provided did not include responses from the Borno State Government, police authorities or the court to the allegations.
Further clarification from the relevant authorities would be necessary to establish the circumstances of the reported attack and resolve the conflicting information about Dawa’s sentence.