Zamfara blasphemy killing, barbaric and unacceptable, says Buhari

Pictures emerge as Buhari reacts to the killing of 8 people in Zamfara State over blasphemy against Islam (check previous posts for details)

A photo posted by Instablog9ja✅ (@instablog9ja) on Aug 23, 2016 at 12:26am PDT

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday described the gruesome murder of eight persons in Zamfara State by individuals suspected to be students of the Abdul Gusau Polytechnic, as barbaric and. Unacceptable.



The eight persons, all residents of house were killed when the house was set ablaze by the irate mob for being used to accommodate a student who had been beaten to within an inch of his life by the mob for blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

President Buhari, reacting to the killing via his Twitter handle, said:

“I received news of the mob killings in Zamfara with great dismay. It is barbaric and unacceptable. I assure that the law will take its course. My prayers are with the families of the victims”.

The President said that under his watch, the Nigerian government will work to ensure that there is no place for violence in the name of religion, ethnicity, or in any guise whatsoever.

In related development, one of the political parties in the country, KOWA, has condemned the killing, describing it as barbaric.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Youth Leader, Jude Feranmi, the party urged government to fish out the perpetrators and punish them accordingly.

“Our condolences are with the people of Zamfara State and the families and loved ones of those who have been killed unjustly in the recent killings by some hoodlums who are hiding under the auspices of religion,” the statement said. It added:

“We condemn in the strongest terms the recent killings of innocent Nigerians by religious bigots who have taken to barbarism to break the law and deny their fellow denizens in Zamfara State the fundamental right to life.

The party said that in killing the eight individuals, their right to life enshrined in Chapter 4, Section 33 of the Nigerian constitution had been denied them by the murderers.

“Such acts are not and should not be condoled by any persons or group of persons under any umbrella whatsoever in our society. Acts like these are condemnable and should be taken seriously by our law enforcement agencies to ensure that the culprits are all brought to justice and made to suffer for their crimes.

The party said it was time law enforcement agencies in Nigeria sent a strong message that criminal acts like this would be severely punished and that perpetrators must be brought to justice.

“Just recently, the killings in Kano and Abuja of innocent Nigerians have not been meted with the justice that those individuals and their families deserve.

“Previous cases of these kind of barbaric acts have been treated without urgency thereby prolonging the justice needed to communicate to intending criminals that such acts will be handled seriously.

It called on the National Orientation Agency to as a matter of urgency begin a programme that is focused on religious intolerance and the laws of the land on those who think it necessary to deliver judgments on acts of blasphemy.

“We cannot continue to live like barbarians and keep losing the lives and properties of innocent citizens in acts like this. Acts like this should NOT be tolerated and as much as we will not wish this act that has now turned into a recurrent act away, we need to back words with action’” the statement said.