SIR: I condemn in the strongest terms\u00a0the killing of a year -two female student\u00a0by name Deborah Samuel, of the\u00a0Shehu Shagari College of Education for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammed. Whether we admit it or not , the truth is that religion remains one of the biggest setbacks of African countries or else how can one explain why\u00a0in this\u00a0 twenty first century a group of students\u00a0 under the guise of religion can\u00a0engage themselves in the act of barbarism by\u00a0 lynching and setting\u00a0 ablaze\u00a0 one of their own . The savages did not stop there; with\u00a0effrontery and\u00a0impunity, they filmed and posted their crime\u00a0online.<\/p>\n
It is sad that many Nigerians especially the youths have not bothered to know that\u00a0one of the pillars of the\u00a0negotiation of a one Nigeria by our founding fathers is that Nigeria shall be a secular state as\u00a0embedded in\u00a0section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution.<\/p>\n
I have read the\u00a0post of many\u00a0Nigerians from the North,\u00a0both high and low, educated and illiterate\u00a0who\u00a0out of ignorance of the laws of the land commended the\u00a0killers of Deborah for a job well done.\u00a0 Even though it is trite that ignorance of the law is not an excuse, I want to blame the ignorance of the vast number of northerners on our politicians and leaders who have failed to harness the potentials of the diversity of this great country because of their selfish interest.
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For the benefit of doubt, I want to state categorically here that\u00a0blasphemy is not an offence in Nigeria.\u00a0The provisions of Sections 244 (1), 262 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d) and (e), 272(1)(2) and 277 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)and (e) of the Nigerian Constitution\u00a0 limits the Sharia law only to the\u00a0 determination of question of Islamic personal law ,\u00a0excluding\u00a0 criminal law which is being\u00a0 taken care of by the penal code in the North.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In view of the above, I submit that\u00a0the killing of Deborah\u00a0for alleged blasphemy\u00a0is nothing short of a cold blooded premeditated murder which is\u00a0 illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and consequently the perpetrators\u00a0of this dastard act must be brought to book and justice must be served .\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is not enough for the school to be shut down\u00a0indefinitely by the authorities and\u00a0 students asked to vacate the campus. It is not enough for the Sokoto Sultanate Council to apologise to the Nigerian public.\u00a0It is not enough that the suspects are arrested,\u00a0arraigned and prosecuted. What will be enough is for justice to be served. Oh yes let the culprits have their day in court.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The violent death of Deborah is a litmus\u00a0test of whether\u00a0we the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; have truly,\u00a0firmly and solemnly resolved to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God. It is essential that justice is\u00a0served in this matter to\u00a0serve as\u00a0deterrent to others who will in the future want to take the lives of others unlawfully under the guise of religion. Justice\u00a0must be served to help reassure the minorities and non Moslem communities in the North that they are safe and protected by the government.
We are watching.\u00a0
\u2022 Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo.<\/p>\n<\/article><\/div>\n