OPINION
LIFESTYLE
The gruesome tale
It is the Nigerian horror story. Reports have emerged that on 2 June, Muslim youths in Kano State, North-West Nigeria, beheaded a woman for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Mohammed. The victim, identified as Bridget Patience Agbaheme, was a trader. She was said to have erred during a religious argument with other traders at Wambai market, Kano. This led a mob to descend on her.
“Contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Kano Police Command, DSP Musa Magaji, confirmed the incident,” Sahara Reporters said.
An Igbo woman from Imo State, South-East Nigeria, Agbaheme was reportedly murdered in the presence of her husband, who himself was only saved by the timely intervention of the police.
Expectedly, social media has been abuzz with reactions to the unfortunate event. But will there be justice for the victims or will this just be another horror story that would be forgotten soon?
Kano and beheadings
This is only a repeat of history. It should be recalled that in 1995, in Kano city, there was the story of Gideon Akaluka, murdered in similar fashion for alleged desecration of the Koran.
Akaluka, a young Igbo trader, was arrested by the police after his wife purportedly used pages of the Koran as toilet paper for her baby—though it is argued that the supposed blasphemer was not Gideon’s wife. However, the event took a gruesome turn when a mob of Muslim youths broke into the police cell, decapitated him and then paraded his head around the city.
Some people were arrested immediately and some were convicted for the murder. It is hoped that justice will be served in this latest case of savagery.