Mob burn Woman acused of basphemy in Niger State
By Samuel Ogunsona
Few days after the United States President, Mr Donald Trump singled out Nigeria for persecution of Christians, a mob in Niger State has burnt a woman for alleged blasphemy.
She was recognised as Amaye, a food vendor.
Witnesses hinted Irohinoodua that she was brutally burned alive by a mob in Niger state, northern Nigeria, after being accused of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad.
Irohinoodua was informed the incident occurred when a man proposed marriage to Amaye. The man and bystanders tagged her response blasphemous.
“It led to a mob attack, and [she] was set ablaze before a reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene,” said state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun.
He condemned the killing as “jungle justice” and assured the public that an investigation was underway to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.
Abiodun urged the public to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands. Unfortunately, such incidents are not uncommon in northern Nigeria, where blasphemy is considered a serious offense under Islamic law.
Amnesty International has noted that blasphemy accusations are often used to settle personal scores, leading to mob violence and lynching.
In recent years, several people have been killed over blasphemy accusations, including Deborah Samuel, a student who was beaten and burned alive in Sokoto state in 2022, and Usman Buda, a butcher who was stoned to death in the same state.
Critics argue that the government needs to do more to prevent these killings and protect the rights of all citizens.
“Mob justice has become a weapon of fear in Nigeria,” Amnesty International said in a recent report, highlighting the need for the government to take concrete steps to address this issue.
