A University of Uyo law professor, Idorenyin Eyo, and Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA) have called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s blasphemy and other religious-related criminal laws to protect freedom of religion or belief and prevent religiously motivated violence, discrimination and arbitrary prosecution.

They made the call at a South-South Freedom of Religion or Belief and Justice Convening organised by HBBA in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, with the theme, “Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria: From Dialogue to Action.”

Eyo, an Associate Professor of Law, made the call while delivering a presentation titled, “Beyond Tolerance: Strengthening Freedom of Religion or Belief Through Rights-Based Criminal Justice and Equal Citizenship in Nigeria.”

She argued that religious tolerance alone was insufficient to guarantee peaceful coexistence, insisting that freedom of religion or belief must be recognised as an enforceable fundamental right rather than a privilege determined by religious majorities or political authorities.

According to her, constitutional guarantees must be backed by effective legislation, impartial law enforcement and accountable institutions capable of protecting citizens regardless of their religious affiliations or beliefs.

Citing Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Eyo also referenced Sections 10, 39 and 42, which address the adoption of a state religion, freedom of expression and protection against specified forms of discrimination.

She noted that international and African human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, provide important frameworks for safeguarding religious liberty and equal citizenship.

The law professor cited the killing of Deborah Samuel, a Christian student lynched in Sokoto State in May 2022 following an allegation of blasphemy, as an example of the consequences of religiously motivated violence.

She also referenced the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Muslim musician sentenced to death by a Kano State Sharia court in 2020 over a blasphemy allegation linked to a song circulated on social media.

According to Eyo, the cases raise critical questions about religious liberty, freedom of expression, due process and the administration of criminal justice in a religiously diverse society.

She urged lawmakers to review blasphemy, religious-insult and related offences to ensure they comply with constitutional standards of clarity, necessity and proportionality. She also advocated the amendment or repeal of provisions that impermissibly criminalise peaceful expression or religious dissent.

Eyo called for stronger judicial independence, improved access to legal aid and appellate justice, as well as specialised police training on religious freedom, non-discrimination, lawful arrest, evidence gathering and crowd management.

She stressed that allegations of religious offences should never be treated as proof of guilt, urging law enforcement agencies to investigate religiously motivated attacks promptly and impartially.

She further advocated adequate security, medical and psychosocial support, legal assistance and appropriate remedies for victims of religious violence.

In his remarks, the Programme Manager of HBBA, Hassan Nurudeen, said the organisation’s work in human dignity, access to justice and criminal justice reform had demonstrated the need to extend human rights protection to religious expression, dissenting beliefs, traditional practices and minority identities.

Representing the organisation’s Executive Director, Nurudeen said a significant gap remained between constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the experiences of citizens across the country.

He identified blasphemy allegations, mob violence, accusations of witchcraft, extrajudicial enforcement and election-season disinformation as challenges testing the capacity of legal and law enforcement institutions to protect fundamental rights.

Nurudeen warned against framing freedom of religion or belief as exclusively a North-versus-South issue, noting that the South-South region also faced challenges involving minority beliefs, non-believers, harmful traditional accusations and online religious speech and polarisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He maintained that the courts, police and legal practitioners must serve as impartial guardians of equal citizenship, irrespective of religious identity or belief.

According to him, the convening was designed to move beyond dialogue towards practical measures to strengthen due process and improve access to legal assistance for people whose rights had been violated.

He identified HBBA’s SLAPPs Monitor and FoRB Lawyers Network as mechanisms for supporting legal intervention and assisting affected individuals.

Nurudeen said the meeting was expected to produce concrete recommendations for reform and strengthen collaboration among government institutions, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, religious organisations and civil society.

Both speakers called for a justice system that guarantees equal protection for religious minorities, converts, dissenters and non-believers, stressing that constitutional provisions would remain inadequate if citizens continued to face violence, discrimination, arbitrary prosecution or impunity because of their beliefs.

They urged religious leaders, traditional rulers, political officeholders, civil society organisations and educational institutions to promote constitutional citizenship, peaceful disagreement, accountability and respect for human dignity.

They maintained that peaceful coexistence could only be sustained when freedom of conscience was protected through impartial justice and respect for the rights of all citizens.