Christian World | TruthNigeria says a Borno State court jailed a Christian woman for 14 years after she shared her faith; the report has not been independently confirmed

ACW | October 22, 2026 — A judge of the Borno State High Court in northeastern Nigeria sentenced a Christian woman to 14 years in prison after she spoke about her faith with a Muslim woman, TruthNigeria reported.

TruthNigeria published the report on October 14, 2026. It did not give the date of the sentence and says it obtained a certified copy of the judgment. The report has not been confirmed by other sources.

According to TruthNigeria, the woman was convicted on Count 1 under Section 210 of the Borno State Penal Code, which it described as "depriving a parent of the lawful custody of a child." It said the court imposed the maximum penalty with no option of a fine.

The Muslim woman testified that she converted willingly, the outlet reported. The convicted woman told the court: "I did not intend to cheat the victim. I only advised her. That is all."

Her husband, an evangelist, told TruthNigeria: "I'm on the run; my life is under threat." A human rights lawyer called the ruling "unconstitutional and deeply troubling." The court and the Borno State government have not commented.

Nigerian outlet 247Ureports wrote on October 20 that the reported charge concerns child custody and does not fit a prosecution for evangelism. It said it could not independently confirm either account and had not seen the judgment.

Background: International Christian Concern (ICC) republished the TruthNigeria report on October 21 and said the full judgment and case record are needed to establish the legal basis for the conviction. ACW earlier reported on Christians in northeastern Nigeria in Nigeria: Boko Haram destroys church, Christians of eight villages displaced.

Why it matters: Section 38 of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to change one's religion and to manifest and propagate it. If the sentence was handed down for a conversation about faith, it would conflict with that guarantee of freedom of religion or belief.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: TruthNigeria — Nigerian court sentences Christian woman to 14 years in prison for sharing her faith; International Christian Concern — Christian mother sentenced to 14 years in prison in Nigeria; 247Ureports — Borno court jails Christian woman for 14 years; charge reported is about child custody

Photo: TruthNigeria (face obscured for safety)