A Muslim cleric spoke out in defense of a murder of a Christian woman over false blasphemy accusations.
On May 12, a Christian woman in Nigeria by the name of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu was beaten, resulting in her death, after which her body was burned. This was what Muslim believers thought was an appropriate punishment for the Christian woman in Nigeria who was accused of sending blasphemous messages to a group chat after she declined to date a Muslim boy. Video footage of her murder showed an angry mob vandalizing cars nad other targets while they shouted "Allah akbar" as Yakubu's lifeless body was burned under a pile of other things.
International Christian Concern reported that Bello Yabo, an Islamic cleric in the Nigerian state of Sokoto, allegedly called on Muslims to kill anyone who "insults the prophet." While the ICC's report did not name the Muslim cleric who ordered the killing of people who commit blasphemy against their prophet, an ICC spokesperson told the Christian Post that the group's field staff had stated that it was Yabo was the Muslim cleric who made the comments justifying the killing of a Christian woman in Nigeria.
Muslim Cleric Declares, 'Here We Kill' In Response to Blasphemy Crimes
ICC translated Yabo's comments that said, "A young person in Sokoto insulted Allah's prophet yesterday. In Sokoto we kill such. We don't tolerate such idiocy in Sokoto."
Yabo then went on to say that Sakoto is different from the more commercialized area of Kano in Nigeria. He said, "Here we kill. When you touch the prophet we become mad people. No talk of a person being out of his mind. Kill him!"
"Anyone who touches the prophet, no punishment. Just kill!" Yabo allegedly said, warning that there is "no compromise" for those who uses social media to insult the prophet. He urged people not to report the grievance to authorities but instead take justice into their own hands and kill the person "even if he is an Islamic teacher," calling teachers in general "useless rascal[s]."
Also Read:Two Christian Evangelists Accused Of Committing Blasphemy In Pakistan, Might Face Execution
Christian Woman in Nigeria Killed After False Accusations
Yakubu was a member of the Evangelical Church Winning All denomination and studied at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, a city located in the northwest of Nigeria near the Sokoto and Rima Rivers, with a population of more than 427,000. The Christian woman was accused of sending a message to a school WhatsApp group that her classmates believed was blasphemous.
Yakubu allegedly complained in the class WhatsApp group chat that teachers were discriminating against Christians in the school when it came to assignments and tests and favored the Muslims, Morning Star News reported. Moreover, the Christian woman also turned down a Muslim student who proposed to date her. He then accused her of insulting prophet Muhammad. Her family now believes that her violent death was "an act of God," the Daily Post reported. The family has decided to refuse to let the family's seven other children attend school to avoid any conflicts. Yakubu's body has been transported back home to the Niger State for her burial.
Related Article:Christian Couple On Death Row For 7 Years Over False Blasphemy Charges Acquitted By Court In Pakistan
