Zamfara State Government has dismissed reports claiming that Zamfara Christian convert, Zainab is set to stand trial in Sharia Court on Friday for switching religions.

A statement by the spokesperson of the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that the report is completely false and taken from social media sites that seek to generate traffic.

The statement added that it has been verified beyond a reasonable doubt that no such case exists before any Shari’ah court in the state.

“The attention of the Zamfara State Government has been drawn to mischievous fake news circulating about a 22-year-old Miss Zainab Muhamadu, who is facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity.

“We want to categorically state that it is the handiwork of enemies of peace, who are hellbent on creating a tension where there is none.

“The fake news, which was spread on social media by an online platform notorious for circulating unverified stories and falsehoods, is nothing more than a failed attempt to disrupt peace.

“The Zamfara State Government has acted swiftly by summoning all relevant authorities and security agencies to verify the authenticity of the story, which ultimately proved to be a blatant falsehood created by Sahara Reporters.

“To ensure accountability and certainty, the state government has confirmed with the Grand Khadi of the Zamfara Sharia Court of Appeal regarding any similar cases. He stated that there has never been such a case before any Shari’a court in Zamfara State.

“The question is, where does this perilous and divisive narrative originate? What are its underlying motives? What do those promoting this story hope to accomplish in the long run?

“We are living in intriguing times. Media platforms that should provide the public with verified stories are becoming complacent, merely copying and pasting content from social media accounts eager for likes and comments.

“The woman whose picture was used in the fake news is not Nigerian. Her name is Aalia, and she is from Texas, United States.

“The Zamfara State Government believes it is essential to clarify that nothing of this nature is happening in the state. This situation exemplifies yellow journalism that we must all denounce.

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to promoting global religious tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and peaceful coexistence among nations.

The Nigerian leader made this known in Rome during a dinner hosted in his honour by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican, on Saturday night ahead of the solemn Mass marking the beginning of the pontificate of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV.

In a statement shared via his verified X handle @officialABAT, President Tinubu described the meeting as one marked by “a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future,” underscoring mutual values of peace, tolerance, and global solidarity.

“I expressed Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world,” Tinubu stated.

He added that Nigeria remains a country grounded in faith and open to friendship across borders.

“As always, Nigeria remains a nation open to friendship, grounded in faith, and committed to building bridges of understanding across the world,” Tinubu stated.

Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has explained the reason behind President Bola Tinubu’s invitation to Rome by Pope Leo XIV.

Ekwutosblog reported that President Tinubu departed Abuja for Rome, the capital of Italy, on Saturday at the invitation of Pope Leo XIV.

Tinubu, who was accompanied by top Catholic leaders, is attending a solemn mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Papal invitation sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV underscored the need for President Tinubu’s physical presence at the event.

Ekwutosblog reports that long before he became a household name in the Vatican, Robert Prevost, simply Fr. Prevost, and Prior General of the Augustinian Order from 2001 to 2013, visited Nigeria nine times.

When he left the post of Prior General, Provost maintained a connection with the west African country.

He was invited to Abuja in 2016 for the Mid-Chapter Assembly of the Nigerian Augustinians while he served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru.

Just before he became the Pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost was expected in Nigeria in July this year for the ordination of new priests in the Augustinian order.

And Bianca, who appeared on NTA Weekend File from Rome immediately after President Tinubu landed in Rome, said it was his connection to Nigeria that made Pope Leo XIV request the physical presence of the Nigerian leader.

Mrs Ojukwu, who pointed to the connection between Pope Leo XIV and Nigeria, also noted that Nigeria accounts for one of the fastest-growing Catholic populations in the world.

She noted that Pope Leo XIV is not a stranger to Nigeria with his deep knowledge of the streets and chapels in Abuja and Maiduguri.

Speaking on how the Papal invitation and the presence of Nigeria led by the President could build a good relationship between the west African nation and the Vatican, Mrs Ojukwu added, “Of course, the new pontiff is the spiritual leader of over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. As he had already mentioned, we’re living in a world punctuated by so many tensions, so many conflicts, so much unrest.

“Nigeria’s Catholic community understand the importance and the stabilizing effect the pontiff will bring to the New World Order.

“We of course, appreciate the fact that he has considered Nigeria a very, very important country in Africa, being, of course, the most populous nation in in in in Africa.

“And with the President’s foreign policy thrust, with the President’s concentration on ensuring that one of the key elements policing peace across the African continent, and also ensuring that there is religious tolerance across the country.

“I think it’s particularly significant that being a Muslim, he accepted this invitation to join in the Pontifical mass tomorrow.

“It says a lot about his approach to ensuring that he’s a president for all Nigerians, irrespective of creed, or religious affiliations.”

Tinubu was accompanied by Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martins and Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.