The Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Professor Ibrahim Maqari, has justified the horrific murder of a Christian female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State, Deborah Samuel, by her Muslim colleagues.
The Imam blamed Deborah for crossing the red line of the Islamic faith, therefore her killers committed no offence.
Absolving her killers in a statement posted on his Twitter account on Friday, Maqari hinted that grave consequences awaited persons who crossed the religion’s red lines, noting that such conduct will not be tolerated.
The post read, “It should be known to everyone that we the Muslims have some red lines beyond which MUST NOT be crossed. The dignity of the Prophet (PBUH) is at the forefront of the red lines. If our grievances are not properly addressed, then you should not be criticized for addressing them ourselves.”
Also, a Sokoto government official, Anas Mohammad Sani, also threatened that more Christians in Nigeria will be murdered if they say things considered disrespectful to their revered Prophet Muhammad.
“Muslims don’t take insults against beloved prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in whatever form,” he warned.
Sani said the Shehu Shagari College of Education student was brutally murdered because of her reckless comment regarding the Islamic faith.
Justifying the gruesome murder, Sani said, “The earlier our Christian brothers and sisters understand this, the better for all of us. May the recklessness of our tongues never drive us to (an) early grave.”
The victim, a 200 level Home-Economics student accused of blasphemy, had complained bitterly over the influx of religious broadcast messages shared to her department’s WhatsApp page.
Her complaints was said to have infuriated some fanatic course mates and schoolmates who stoned her to death and set her body on fire.