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BBC Pidgin of Monday, 26 June 2023

Source: BBC

'Butcher wey dem lynch for Sokoto sake of blasphemy na good family man'

Sokoto is in northwestern Nigeria and regarded as seat of the Caliphate Sokoto is in northwestern Nigeria and regarded as seat of the Caliphate

Pipo wey sabi Usman Buda wey lose im life on Sunday for Sokoto state afta some pipo lynch am for religious comments e make say na good, religious man wey dey take care of im family.

According to eyewitnesses, on Sunday morning, Usman wey dey sell meat for Dankure market inside Sokoto city begin argue wit some of im co-traders wey belong to a different Islamic sect bifor di issue escalate wey lead to im death.

Videos begin circulate on social media showing how some pipo dey stone Usman while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’.

Sani Isah tell BBC News Pidgin say Usman na pesin wey love im religion wella and no go ever do anytin to rubbish Islam.

“Usman na very religious pesin and a very good family man so wen I hear wetin happun immediately I know for my mind say no be true becos e no fit happun like dat.”

Na last year on May 12, 2022 some group of pipo kill student Deborah Yakubu for same Sokoto state afta dem say she insult Islam for one student whatsapp group.

Wetin lead to di mob attack

Sani wey say e don sabi Usman for over 20 years say no sectarian issue lead to di wahala becos Usman bin dey try explain to di pipo e dey argue wit say na only God pesin fit pray or beg to do sometin for am.

Some pipo bin come to beg for money, “As e dey explain to dem say na only Allah deserve make pesin say make e do sometin for am and no one else na im dem show dia anger saying wetin e dey tok no good.

“So na just issue of misunderstanding regarding belief wey no suppose to even lead to raising of finger talk more of death.”

Zainab Abubakar say Usman get wives and plenty children wey dey fear about wetin happun to dia breadwinner.

Mubarak Balle say na togeda im and Usman dey attend religious gatherings and im knowledge of Usman na a very good and religious person.

“Na strong Sunni pesin e be and di pipo wey carry out dis act no be sunni pipo.”

Some analysts say dis na high time goment do sometin about how mob dey take dis kain bad actions since na di second high profile lynching over religion in just over a year.

Police say dem dey find killers

Di Sokoto state police Command confam di murder of Usman - dem receive distress call at about 09: 20am about wetin dey happun.

“We bin get call say one Usman Buda ‘M’ of Gwandu local government area, a Butcher at Sokoto Abattoir allegedly blasphemed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as a result some pipo mob and attack am.

“Upon receiving dat information, di Commissioner of Police, Area Commander Metro and DPO kwanni lead team of policemen and all oda operational commanders to dat particular scene.

“On arrival, di mob escape di scene and leave di victim unconscious na from dia we rescue am and take am go Usmanu Danfodio Teaching Hospital Sokoto (UDUTH) and later dem Confam am dead,” ASP Ahmad Rufa’i tok for statement.

“Meanwhile, Investigation dey on to arrest di bad pipo wey do dis tin and bring sem to book,” di statement add.

Popular cleric say educating pipo dey key

Popular Islamic cleric across Northern Nigeria Professor Mansur Sokoto say dis particular incident dey very sad and unfortunate and pipo need educating.

“Illiterates need to get education and clerics need to educate pipo using appropriate methods and also goment need to do dia best to stop pipo from taking laws into dia hands.”

Dat na wetin di cleric post for im Facebook page afta di incident and as at time of filing many pipo still dey comment wit wetin dem feel be di solution to di problem.

Govnor call for calm

Dr Ahmad Aliyu wey be Sokoto state govnor also call for calm regarding di tension for parts of di state saying pipo need to stop taking laws into dia hands.

Di govnor say wenever pipo dey suspect blasphemy dem suppose report di case to authorities instead of mob justice.

Memories of Deborah Yakubu

Na on 12 May 2022 student Deborah Yakubu suffer similar fate to Usman afta mob lynch her for alleged blasphemy.

One tori pesin wey base for Sokoto at di time bin tell BBC Pidgin wetin happun.

"Dis morning [on Thursday] around 9:00am problem start afta one female student of di school allegedly insult di name of dia holy prophet," di journalist tok.

"So some student for di campus drag her out from her hostel and start stoning her and some dey beat hear wit stick. Dem kill her and set her bodi on fire.

Viral videos on social media dey show footage wey be like di same account of dis Sokoto tori pesin.

However, BBC Pidgin bin no fit independently verify di content of both di viral videos and voice notes.

Di tori pesin add say; "From wetin I see, di student use dia WhatsApp group to make di comment"

"Dem set up di WhatsApp group for discussing academic activities and oda tins, so one student post something on religion on dat group"

"So di female student comment ontop di mata and in di process of commenting and condemning di action of dat student, she den use di 'blasphemous' words.

Wetin be blasphemy and wetin di law tok about am?

Blasphemy na di action, offence of speaking out of place - sacrilegiously, insulting God or sacred tins.

To say sometin bad about God or use im name in vain.

Imam Yusuf say no section of di Quran support say make anyone kill im broda or sister.

E further explain say those wey "kill Deborah be criminals and dia action no represent any religion."

On wetin Islam define as blasphemy, e say "di word blasphemy no get root for Islam and Quran and so di Quran no get any punishment for anytin like blasphemy."

Meanwhile di Digital Imam Sheik Nuer Khalid dey of di view say even though di punishment for those wey blaspheme against di prophet and di Quran na death, di responsibility to kill no dey for di hands of any pesin.