A Federal High Court has restrained authorities in Kano State and the Islamic religious police, known as Hisbah, from arresting a 22-year-old woman because she converted from Islam to Christianity and rejected a proposed marriage.
The woman, Sarah reportedly fled her family home in 2025 after alleging abuse by her elder siblings, who she said were attempting to force her into marriage.
According to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, her siblings allegedly enlisted Hisbah officials, leading to her detention for four days. She reportedly alleged that she was beaten and pressured to accept the marriage.
Sarah later found shelter with a Christian family and voluntarily converted to Christianity. She was subsequently relocated to Jos amid fears for her safety.
In a ruling delivered on May 26, the Federal High Court reportedly described the actions against Sarah as a “flagrant violation” of her fundamental rights to human dignity and freedom of religion.
The court ordered Kano State authorities and Hisbah officials not to pursue her arrest because of her religious conversion or refusal to enter the proposed marriage. It also ordered financial compensation for her.
ADF Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom, Sean Nelson, said the judgment affirmed that Hisbah has no jurisdiction over Christians or other non-Muslims, adding that Sarah’s decision to change her faith and reject a forced marriage is protected by law.
However, criminal proceedings against the Christian family who sheltered Sarah reportedly remain pending in Kano.
The case has renewed debate over religious freedom, forced marriage, the powers of Hisbah authorities and the protection of fundamental rights in northern Nigeria.
