Gladness Gideon
The Zamfara State Government has categorically denied widespread social media claims alleging that a young woman named Zainab is currently facing trial in a Sharia court for converting to Christianity.
In a strongly worded statement released by the spokesperson to the state governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the government dismissed the reports as baseless fabrications crafted by “mischief-makers and enemies of peace” intent on provoking religious tension.
“The attention of the Zamfara State Government has been drawn to the mischievous and fake news about a 22-year-old Miss Zainab Muhamadu allegedly facing a death penalty for converting to Christianity,” the statement read. “We categorically state that this is the handiwork of those determined to incite unrest where none exists.”
According to the government, a comprehensive investigation was carried out in collaboration with law enforcement and judicial authorities. The Grand Khadi of the Zamfara State Sharia Court of Appeal reportedly confirmed that no such case has ever been brought before any court in the state.
To further discredit the viral claim, the government revealed that the photograph circulated alongside the report is not of any Nigerian citizen, but of a woman named Aalia from Texas, USA—further evidence, it said, of a calculated disinformation campaign.
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“The origin of this dangerous and divisive narrative remains unclear, but its intent is obvious—to stir religious tension and disrupt the peace in Zamfara and Nigeria at large,” the statement added.
Criticizing the spread of unverified reports, the government condemned what it described as a surge in “yellow journalism” among online media outlets, urging the public to remain vigilant and responsible in sharing information.
The state government has called on security agencies to investigate the source of the false report and prosecute those responsible, warning that the propagation of such inflammatory content poses a threat to national harmony.
“We must all work together to preserve peace and unity in our country,” the statement concluded.