Sarah*, 22, lived in an abusive home in northern Nigeria, where her family tried to push her into a forced marriage.
She refused, and the family arranged for Kano State’s Hisbah police - the Islamic morality police - to arrest her. She was held for four days and beaten during her detention.
After her release, Sarah fled and found refuge with a Christian family, the Abaras. While staying with them, she gave her life to Christ.
A family punished for showing kindness
Fearing further danger from the Hisbah and her family after her release and conversion to Christianity, the Abaras helped Sarah relocate to safety in nearby state.
Her siblings then accused the Christian family of kidnapping.
The Abaras were arraigned without legal counsel. They're out on bail, but a criminal case against them is still moving through the courts in Kano, right now.
God’s hand at work in Nigeria
There is good news.
Although the Abaras have not yet been vindicated, a Federal High Court ruled that the Hisbah had no authority to arrest Sarah over her conversion and refusal to marry, calling the police's actions a "flagrant violation" of her fundamental rights, and ordered compensation.
ADF is supporting both Sarah’s and the Abaras’ cases. Sean Nelson, ADF's Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom, said:
“The state should never seek to punish someone for peacefully practicing their faith or helping others live out their faith safely. We have seen a growing move to assert Islamic law over the rights of Christians and other religions in Nigeria.
We hope Sarah’s case will serve in countering the expansion of Hisbah jurisdiction, will help to free the Abaras who should have all charges dropped against them immediately, and will lead to the affirmation of religious freedom for all in Nigeria, regardless of their chosen faith.”
The UN is taking action in Nigeria
Sarah's case is not isolated. This week, five UN Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups published a formal letter to the Nigerian government, warning that Christian women and girls face a "heightened risk" of brutal, religiously-motivated violence. The experts cited harrowing cases: the forced conversion and marriage of a 13-year-old girl, the abduction of a pastor's daughters by Boko Haram, and a 16-year-old girl whose hand was cut off after her family refused a forced marriage proposal.
The numbers are alarming: of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith worldwide in 2025, over 70% were killed in Nigeria alone. All the while, the UN has called out that Sharia enforcement is fostering “systemic discrimination against non-Muslims”.
This is why ADF International's work cannot slow down
The Abaras still face criminal charges for helping a young Christian woman reach safety. And with the Nigerian government failing to even respond to the UN's warnings, pressure to act must come from somewhere.
Right now, the Abaras need that more than ever, along with the countless Christian women and girls across Nigeria, whom the UN has now formally recognised as being at risk.
There is no better moment to stand with Nigeria's persecuted Christians - will you support them today?
This Saturday, 22 August, marks the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. It's a day to acknowledge the ongoing violence, terrorism, and intolerance targeting religious minorities, schools, and places of worship and reflect prayerfully on how we can stand for those affected.
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