The gruesome murder of Deborah Samuel, a Christian and student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto by a mob of Islamic extremists on May 12 is one of the most atrocious incidents in the recent times. Whilst the nation is grief-stricken, a similar incident occurred a moment ago adjacent to the airport road in the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday June 4, against a young man, Ahmad Usman, a member of a vigilante group who was beaten, and burnt alive by Muslim youths in countless number. Police report reveals that the mob attack followed his argument with one Imam in the area.
These two incidents in less than a month point to a looming serious crisis if not arrested urgently. Perhaps, authorities’ delay to respond toughly on the earlier ones led to the latest one. The country can’t afford to return to the primitive days with all manner of barbaric acts. Deborah’s crime was discontent over a religious post by a Muslim student on a Students’ group platform which was perceived by her Muslim-colleagues as a blasphemy against Islam.
A report discloses that immediately the news broke out, Islamic scholars read out a verse of the Qur’an prescribing death on anyone that blasphemes against Islam leading to her ambush and attack. After the ugly incident, the Chief Imam of the National Mosque in Abuja, Professor Ibrahim Maqari backed the mobs’ action claiming that a redline was crossed. Furthermore, about 34 lawyers from the religion trouped to the court in solidarity to the alleged killers. The question? Could the religious bigots justify the barbaric act of culpable homicide over violation of fundamental human rights?
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Let’s even assume the Qur’an endorsed the death sentence for blasphemers, did anyone find their names in the Qur’an as the enforcers on blasphemy? Are the mobs the Court of law or Sharia Court that find perceived offenders guilty? Are they law enforcement personnel approved by the government? These are critical questions that must be answered. Blasphemy is synonymous to hate speech. Can anyone or a group of citizens become the accuser, judge and also the enforcer – to stone, murder and set ablaze citizens over alleged blasphemy or wrongs? The answer is No.
Emphatically, no religious group – Christians, Muslims, Jews, traditionalists, pagans has any right to kill any citizen under whatever reasons including blasphemy. No matter the doctrines, as far as Nigeria’s space is concerned, the Nigerian Constitution is supreme. Arbitrary killing under any reasons is murder – this is the redline and must stop. It doesn’t matter if the victim is a believer or unbeliever in the religion. It is therefore expedient that the culprits must face the full weight of the law for deterrence. Ignorance is no excuse in law. Instructively, nobody can be guilty of any crime until arraigned and convicted by a court of law.
So, the government must not take these calamities lightly, particularly on account that the first scene took place in a government’s school premises. The government should also pay a reasonable compensation to the family to set the record straight that she was unjustly hacked to death by religious extremists. This will send a strong message across quarters that the government strongly condemned the act and not paying a mere lip service. Ditto on the recent victim, a fellow Muslim in Abuja.
Above all, the government should expeditiously convene an all religions-summit for education on human rights and redline on doctrines. Every religious group must know its boundary. Enough of reactions, condemnations after barbaric incidents which is akin to medicines after death. The Police should also consider transferring the Sokoto case to FCT to reduce possible pressures from some quarters on the court, particularly the fanatics overcrowding the court. The time to act is now.
Carl Umegboro
umegborocarl@gmail.com
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