Afrobeat star, Seun Anikulapo Kuti has on social media continued to react to the gruesome murder of a female student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto identified as Deborah Samuel.
This follows the killing and setting ablaze of Deborah over alleged blasphemy.
Seun Kuti had taken to his Instagram page, stating Muslims are the same everywhere, irrespective of their location. He said Yoruba Muslims might seem calmer than those in the north but they are all the same.
Seun Kuti said Yoruba Muslims tried to islamize Nigerians but they weren’t able because they lost the war. He wrote:
“YORUBA MUSLIMS AREN’T DIFFERENT, THEY ARE JUST DEFEATED. TWICE, IF AFONJA WON HIS WAR, THEY WILL BE DOING THE SAME HERE. WE BEAT THE CRAZY OUT OF THEM.”
He added that:
“Yoruba Muslims tried to Islamize us Twice. We fought 2 wars against the jihadist among us and we beat them well! They don’t have the military and political clout to misbehave! No one should act like their calmness is due to their choice. Na lie!! #getthesax.”
Meanwhile, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has condemned the lynching of a female student, Deborah Samuel, for alleged blasphemy.
Mr Osinbajo, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, described the killing as ‘attrocious’ and ‘unfortunate’.
“I must say that the killing of Deborah Samuel is a deeply distressing thing, very disturbing – such an attrocious killing of the young lady by a mob who took the law into their own hands. It is very unfortunate,” Mr Osinbajo wrote.
The killing led to violence in Sokoto Saturday after police arrested two suspects for their alleged roles in the murder.
The protesters in the Muslim-majority state demanded the release of the suspects and later attacked two churches in the state.
The Sokoto State Government has since declared a curfew in the state.
Read Mr Osinbajo’s full statement below;
”I must say that the killing of Deborah Samuel is a deeply distressing thing, very disturbing – such an attrocious killing of the young lady by a mob who took the law into their own hands. It is very unfortunate.
The President has reacted to this, a statement which was issued earlier condemning the action.
”The swift reaction of the Sokoto State Government and also the Sultan of Sokoto is highly commendable. Their swift reaction to the situation clearly demonstrated the outrage of millions of Nigerians and also demonstrated the desire of everyone to ensure that the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and prosecuted.
”As the President said, there’s really no excuse for anyone to take the law into their own hands no matter the provocation, there are set processes for ensuring that we are able to redress whatever wrongs that are done against us.
”We must express our condolence to the family of the young lady Deborah Samuel. I can’t imagine how her parents, siblings and members of her family feel, not just about her death, but the very horrendous nature of its occurrence. It is very sad indeed, and I extend our sincere condolences to them. I ask that the Almighty will comfort them at this time.”
Also, The Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), a body of Muslim journalists in the country, has condemned what it termed jungle justice meted out to Deborah Samuel in Sokoto state.
The deceased was accused of committing blasphemy against the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, through a voice note she reportedly shared on a WhatsApp group of her classroom.
The voice note, which was shared in the Hausa language, was interpreted to mean an insult to the prophet.
In a statement issued and signed by its national president, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, MMPN described the action as anti-Islam, barbaric and sad.
It said the case of mob killing of Ms Samuel is a criminal offence in Islamic law, noting that anyone whoever takes the law into their hands is a criminal that should be punished for their crime.
The group also noted that the punishment for any offence in Islamic law is decided by a judge. “No other member of the public has that jurisdiction.”
The statement read in part: “Allah says in Qur’an 5 verse 32 thus: …We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people…
“In essence, it is a criminal offence in the Shari’ah of Islam for anyone or any group to take the law into their hands. Even if it is a crime committed against the state, it is when the specific punishment is prescribed in the Qur’an or Hadith, only a competent judge of a Shari’ah court is allowed to approve of the witnesses and evidence, and to give the sentence for the execution of the appropriate punishment.”
MMPN also commended the Sultanate Council and the Sultan, Sa’ad Abubakar, for condemning the “criminal act and calling for calm pending the outcome of the investigation panel set up by the Sokoto State Government.”
The group further said: “As a body of Muslim media practitioners, we join all others to condemn this barbaric act and call for immediate justice on any individual or group of people found guilty of perpetrating this dastard act.
“This is so because if any individual or group is permitted to judge and execute punishments on their own without recourse to the constituted authority, there will be nothing but jungle justice and anarchy on the land.”
According to the group, what happened in Sokoto is a manifestation of ignorance of what the religion of Islam preaches, “hence the need for Islamic scholars to renew their commitments to preaching peace, love, tolerance and understanding as taught by Prophet Muhammad himself.”
“The Prophet (S.A.W) during his life time was maligned, insulted and attacked but he didn’t retaliate or order his people to prosecute any of them, hence, people accepted Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad ( S.A.W ) because of his exemplary and worthy character”.
