Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari said yesterday that false alarm led to the killing last weekend of eight people in Talata-Mafara.
He debunked insinuations that it was a religious clash in which Christians were killed.
According to him, those killed were Muslims. He promised to ensure that the killers are brought to book.
Also yesterday, the apex Islamic body in the North, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), raised the alarm on a plot by some forces to hide under “blasphemy” to cause religious tension and crisis in the North and in the country at large.
A woman was killed in Kano and eight people were killed in Zamfara – for alleged blasphemy.
The Zamfara killings started when a student of Abdu Gusau Polytechnic and seven others were killed on Monday for alleged blasphemy against Islam.
A mob set fire to the house of a man who tried to rescue the student.
Speaking with reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Yari described the killings as an act of the devil.
He said: “From the intelligence I had from the security agencies, there was a fight between two students and I think one of them injured the other and started shouting that the other person abused Prophet Muhammad.
“Other students came and beat up the other boy who is Yoruba from Kogi State. Some people are saying he was a Muslim and some say the boy was a Christian. They beat the student until he collapsed and thought he was dead.
“Then security personnel requested help from one shop owner who then took the boy to the hospital in his car. When the students heard that the boy was still alive and in the hospital, they went to the hospital. But the boy was rescued by soldiers in the hospital.
“Then the students went back to the polytechnic and burnt down the shop of the person who gave his car to rescue the boy.
“They went back to town again and, as you know, the police in the division don’t have enough men to contain the riot and before reinforcement came, the crowd threw tyre in the man’s house and burnt down the house.
“That was how everybody in the house was killed and all the people killed in the House were Muslims and not like the rumours going around in the social media that Christians are being killed in Zamfara.
“In fact, the mob wanted to go and burn churches and attack non-Muslims but the security forces stopped them. It’s my home town and that’s where I live.”
The governor said no arrest had been made at the time he left the state for Abuja.
The police and the Department of State Service (DSS), he said, were investigating the incident.
According to him, the authority shut down the school immediately the incident happened.
Yari said: “The government will not take this lightly, people taking laws into their hands. If you say the punishment of who abused Prophet should be killed, and you now kill innocent people, knowing there is a government, laws and courts in place.
“So why should someone take laws into his hands? So definitely all the culprits will be brought to book.”
The JNI raised the alarm in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, who urged governments particularly in the North, to urgently check acts of blasphemy.
The statement condemned the Zamfara incident saying individual Muslims were not Jurists, but faithful in practising their religion and, therefore, have no right to pass judgment on emotions.
The statement said: “Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), upon the receipt of reportage on the alleged blasphemy of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is once again poised to make this release over the most unfortunate alleged blasphemy which occurred at Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.
“This recurring matter is becoming tediously monotonous and remains condemned in the strongest terms. The unfortunate attacks that ensued thereafter are criminal and also stand condemned. We reiterate that human lives are sacred and therefore must be dignified. That has been the position of Islam.
“JNI reemphasises that individual Muslims are not Jurists, but faithful in the practicing of the religion. Therefore, they don’t have the right to pass judgment on emotions. The nasty behavior of some miscreants should not be misconstrued as the Islamic teaching. In the light of which we commend the efforts of the Zamfara State Government in nipping in the bud the escalation of the crisis and equally the beefing up of security by the various security agencies, around Talata Mafara and its environs is also commendable.
“We however call on state governments, particularly in the North, to hasten mechanisms which will address these repeated acts of blasphemy; it seems that there are deliberate attempts to cause more tension in the region and the country at large, in the name of blasphemy.
“While we commiserate with all the affected victims of the unfortunate incident, we call on respective predominant Muslim communities to be very wary and cautious of crafty art of blasphemy within or around their respective communities and learn to handle such matters with utmost caution – no matter the provocation that may arise therefrom.
“The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, JNI calls on all and sundry to remain calm and avoid all actions that could jeopardise peaceful co-existence, especially at this material point of trying time of nation building.
“As always, the generality of Muslims are also implored to fervently continue praying for the restoration of peace and security in Nigeria.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Enter your comment...you are mad with ur false defence toward ur devill people .
ReplyDeleteWat is so special Muhammed, was he a thief, prostitute, evildoer etc that everytim these jobless animals keep taken lives of human in d name of blasphemy. Pls, we can't continue in this way. I don't kn the type of moral value the elders in d North r teaching their children. Pls, if they religious of prophet muhammed of a tin is nt evil worshipping, Muslims generally shld stop this barbaric acts and d Federal Govt must come out in clear terms put an end to this issue
ReplyDeleteYour Excellency sir. That it was a Muslim or a Christian that was killed shouldn't be the case. The meat of the matter is that 8 lives were lost. An act perpetuated by miscreants who hide under religion to unleash mayhem. This must be checked if not we may soon see more terrible cases.
ReplyDeleteMr man, they wanted to kill the Christian which they thought had died when he was thoroughly beaten. You people keep on deceiving yourselves,to me all Muslims are working towards one goal which is islamisation of the whole world. Some of you are moderate hypocritical friends to Christians working to pacify Christians against taking revenge against you and your military wing. You go to Europe and other Christian countries to force you filthy and backward way of life on them using your military and political tactics and taking advantage of their Christ like kindness and liberalism to take over them gradually,anytime they make laws in their countries you people will try and foist your barbaric laws on them in their own land, you even challenge them that their countries belong to Muslims. My question is if you love justice and liberalism as your political wing claims and benefit from, why don't you people protest the injustice inflicted on Christians and other people in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries. As devilish as you are, in 100 percent Islamic countries where you have nobody to fight again you will start fighting yourselves. When you start fighting yourselves, your political wing would start demanding for kindness from Christians and other good people you hate so much in other to use their money to purchase weapons to kill them again.Your devilish secrets are in the open for all to see.
ReplyDeleteSenseless talk........
ReplyDeleteWhatsoever you term as a blasphemy should remain in the confines and tenets of Islam and should be binding on Muslims alone. For God's sake we are in a nation of diverse belief system, none should laud the teachings, doctrines and dogma of his own belief over another. It's high time we came to understand all these and be civil especially when it concerns those outside our frame of reference. If we can not exist within the confines of the Nigerian constitution which is what we have in common, then to your tent oh Isreal in peace and harmony. This animalistic hooliganism in the name of religion should stop or let's divide and go our separate ways so that we can have our ways with our religious excesses as we so wish. I am only making a common sense, so don't get it twisted.
ReplyDeleteHow Many of those boys in the streets can read this condemnation?the best approach to end such is to educate them in the mosques instead of coming on air to speak against it .what difference will it make?it will continue to happen if urgent steps are not put in place.
ReplyDeleteDoes it erase the fact that irrational fanatics killed them?
ReplyDeleteWe would continue to kill infidels until they are no more..... nonsense
ReplyDeleteYou bastard!! who are the infidels? if you truly know the definition of the word infidels are those without living faith, like the Islam. Most of them worship what they dont know, pity you. Your allah are in Mecca, five strong demons, that is why you pray five times in a day. its high you people should know this before its too late. The five idols can neither talk nor move that is why the demons are motivating you guys to fight and kill on their behave. They that WORSHIP allah have three basics assignment to accomplish on earth; STEAL,KILL and DESTROY.
ReplyDeleteSenseless talk,
DeleteBut that is true. Ask your Sheiks to tell you the truth. There is only one true Religion... Christianity.
ReplyDeleteAny God dat is been fought 4 is a weak God. How weak must dis Islam God be dat d fear xtians so much. Dat so called religion of peace is fucked and gwaked.
ReplyDelete