The police in Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria, have confirmed the murder of a butcher, Usman Buda, who was killed on Sunday by a mob over an allegation of blasphemy.
Development Diaries reports that Buda was stoned to death on Sunday at Abattoir in the state after repeatedly making ‘blasphemous’ statements.
Spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, Ahmad Rufai, said investigations have commenced to apprehend the killers of Buda.
‘We got a distress call in the morning around 9:20 a.m. that a mob attacked one person by name Usman Buda, at Abattoir in Sokoto. They alleged him to have insulted prophet Mohammed (SWAT)’, he said in a statement.
‘On reaching the scene, people there took to their heels, leaving him in bloodshed, seriously injured. We rescued him and took him to hospital. Unfortunately, later in the day, he passed away’.
Reacting to the killing of Buda, Amnesty International noted that the Nigerian authorities have continued to create a permissive environment for brutality.
‘By failing, again and again, to ensure that those suspected of responsibility of killing(s) over alleged blasphemy are brought to justice, the Nigerian authorities continue to create a permissive environment for brutality’, the organisation tweeted.
By failing again and again to ensure that those suspected of responsibility of killing(s) over alleged blasphemy are brought to justice, the Nigerian authorities continue to create a permissive environment for brutality. #Sokoto #Nigeria #Blasphemy
— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) June 25, 2023
In May 2022, just over a year ago, Deborah Yakubu, a Christian student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Wamako, Sokoto State, was brutally killed over a similar allegation of blasphemy.
To date, nobody has been charged with that killing.
Development Diaries believes that the failure of the government at all levels to punish crimes committed in the name of defending religion is enabling the act.
We call on the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
Photo source: Nigeria Police Force