Nigerian reverend and wife imprisoned for over three years acquitted of wrongdoing for helping young girl to safety

KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA (22 March 2024) Reverend Jonah Gangas and his wife, Josephine Gangas, have been fully acquitted of wrongdoing after taking in and educating a young Nigerian girl. Rev. and Mrs. Gangas, who serve as pastors with the ECWA Church in Kaduna State, Nigeria, took in a runaway 12-year-old Muslim girl at the request of the police. At the prompting of an Islamic organization, the young girl’s family reported Rev. and Mrs. Gangas to authorities, accusing them of kidnapping and proselytizing the young girl.  

The couple was imprisoned without bail for over three years, and after many delayed hearings, the High Court of Justice of Kaduna State released their decision, fully acquitting the couple of wrongdoing in a “no case” motion. The decision from the court states that “the prosecution has not disclosed a prima facie case”.  

“We are thankful to God to see the full acquittal and release of Reverend and Mrs. Gangas,” said Sean Nelson, legal counsel for global religious freedom for ADF International. “Charitable works are a vital part of many religions, including Christianity, and no one should be punished for performing them. Reverend and Mrs. Gangas, at the request of police, took in a young girl who needed help. For simply helping this young girl, and taking her in during a moment of need, they were punished, prosecuted, and imprisoned. We are pleased that the court has sided with Reverend and Mrs. Gangas, and we hope that this decision will positively impact other Christians and religious minorities in the country who are being unjustly punished for their faith, as well.”  

Following the acquittal, Sunny Akanni, an allied attorney of ADF International and lead attorney on the case, said, “I am relieved that the court has acquitted Reverend and Mrs. Gangas of these wrongful charges and has released them from imprisonment. Christians in Nigeria are unfairly discriminated against for their faith, and we need all who are able to continue to raise their voices in support of religious freedom for all Nigerians. It is my prayer that soon, all Nigerians will be able to worship and share their faith freely, and without fear of retribution.”  

ADF International supported the couple’s case and is a leading advocate for the rights of all to worship freely across the globe.  

Case Background 

Reverend Jonah and Mrs. Josephine Gangas are long-serving pastors with the Evangelical Church Winning All, or ECWA Church of Nigeria, one of the largest Christian denominations in Nigeria, with over ten million members.  

The couple was approached by police in 2013 to house a 12-year-old Muslim girl who had run away from home. The girl ended up staying with them for seven years and was trained in school. Upon graduation from Secondary school, the young girl reunited with her family.  

The family, at the prompting of an Islamic organization, reported Rev. and Mrs. Gangas to the governor, who in turn instructed that the couple be imprisoned and prosecuted for allegedly kidnapping the girl and converting her to Christianity.  

The couple was then imprisoned without bail for over three years in 2020 while waiting for hearings that were continually delayed. Finally, in March 2024, the court released their decision, fully acquitting the couple in a “no case” motion, following a lack of evidence from prosecutors.  

Nigeria’s religious freedom track record  

Together with other religious minorities in Nigeria, the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is especially severe. Worldwide, over 5,500 Christians were killed for their faith in 2022. Of those, 90% were Nigerian. At least 200 Christians were murdered by militants in Plateau State, Nigeria, this past Christmas.         

The criminalisation of blasphemy in Nigeria carries with it dangerous implications for the country as a whole. In a country of more than 200 million, split nearly evenly between Christians and Muslims, blasphemy laws are a significant driver of societal tensions. These laws punish the innocent for expressing their beliefs, silence people from sharing their faith, and perpetuate societal violence. Blasphemy laws throughout Nigeria encourage brutal mob violence and inflict severe harm on minority Muslims, Christian converts, and others.