{"id":2655473,"date":"2026-09-07T08:16:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T12:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vindication-journalist-arrested-for-covering-anti-christian-persecution-just-won-his-5-year-legal-battle\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T08:20:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T12:20:01","slug":"vindication-journalist-arrested-for-covering-anti-christian-persecution-just-won-his-5-year-legal-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vindication-journalist-arrested-for-covering-anti-christian-persecution-just-won-his-5-year-legal-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Vindication&#8217;: Journalist Arrested for Covering Anti-Christian Persecution Just Won His 5-Year Legal Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvindication-journalist-arrested-for-covering-anti-christian-persecution-just-won-his-5-year-legal-battle%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2655473&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Nigerian journalist, Luka Binniyat, who reported on violence and persecution against Christians in Nigeria, was cleared of defamation charges after a prolonged five<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-speech-organization-sues-university-of-central-florida-for-discriminatory-speech-policies\/\" title=\"Free Speech Organization Sues University of Central Florida For \u2018Discriminatory\u2019 Speech Policies\">-year legal battle<\/a>. He was initially arrested in November 2021 for quoting a Nigerian lawmaker regarding alleged genocide against Christians in Kaduna. The court found the charges unsupported, emphasizing there was no sufficient evidence. Binniyat expressed relief and highlighted the importance of free reporting on religious persecution, condemning his previous arrest as a failure too uphold journalistic duty. This case underscores the necessity of protecting press freedom, especially when reporting on sensitive issues like religious violence carried out by groups such as Fulani herdsmen and terrorist organizations targeting Christians in Nigeria.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A journalist reporting on violence against Christians in Nigeria was cleared of defamation charges.<\/p>\n<p>Luka Binniyat, who is based in Kaduna, Nigeria, has now concluded his five-year legal battle, per an Aug. 27 <a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/nigerian-journalist-cleared-of-criminal-defamation-charges-after-reporting-on-christian-persecution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release<\/a> from Alliance Defending Freedom International.<\/p>\n<p>Binniyat had been arrested after publishing an article in November 2021 for The Epoch Times, a news outlet based in the United States, in which he quoted a Nigerian lawmaker who said a colleague was \u201ccovering up\u201d a \u201cgenocide\u201d against Christians.<\/p>\n<p>The writer was arrested and later released in February 2022.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal High Court in Kaduna concluded in May 2026 that the defamation charges were not sustainable.<\/p>\n<p>The court said there was \u201cno evidence to prove the essential elements of the alleged offense.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Nigerian journalist Luka Binniyat has been formally cleared of criminal defamation charges after a five-year legal battle linked to his reporting on the persecution of Christians in Southern Kaduna.<\/p>\n<p>Binniyat was arrested in 2021 after publishing an article in The Epoch Times\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2iobq0VO0N\">pic.twitter.com\/2iobq0VO0N<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SG News (@SGNews123) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SGNews123\/status\/2093656230766203270?\">August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Sean Nelson, senior counsel for global religious freedom at Alliance Defending Freedom, said that \u201cLuka Binniyat did nothing more than accurately quote a Nigerian legislator\u2019s own words.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis ruling is a vindication for Luka, but it should also be a wake-up call: accurate reporting on atrocities is not a crime, and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >journalists covering religious persecution deserve protection<\/a>, not prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nelson commended Binniyat for reporting on persecution in Nigeria, which has become a global hotspot for attacks against Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Islamic Fulani herdsmen, as well as Islamic terrorist groups, have been targeting predominantly Christian villagers in surprise attacks, complete with destruction of property and mass murder.<\/p>\n<p>Nigerian government officials have been criticized for not sufficiently defending their Christian population.<\/p>\n<p>Binniyat said upon being vindicated in court, \u201cIt is troubling to me that I was arrested and prosecuted for fulfilling my duty as a journalist, which is to report the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is essential that as Christians face widespread persecution throughout Nigeria, the press is free to quote what public figures are saying and doing about this crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that he was \u201cgrateful that I was released and the charges against me were dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, my experience shows that there is much work to be done in Nigeria regarding protecting free expression, especially when it comes to speaking out on religious freedom and reporting honestly about what is really happening to Christians in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; 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