@GovUmarGanduje with late Mrs Bridget Patience's husband, CAN President (Kano Chapter) & leader of the Igbos of Kano
Online reports have it that a mob slaughtered an elderly woman suspected to have committed blasphemy in the evening of Thursday, Feb 2, 2016 at Kano textile market. The incident occurred at Kofar Wambai market by Yan’roba when the activities at the textile hits it’s peak. The account explained that the incident triggered pandemonium as shop owners hurriedly lock up.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Kano Police Command, DSP Musa Magaji, confirmed the incident.
He said ” At about 4 30 pm, there was a disagreement between the murdered woman and some traders bordering on religion.
”The woman was said to have blasphemed Prophet Mohammed, which did not go down well with the mob.
He said, the woman whose named he didn’t disclose, was in the company of her husband when the incident happened but the timely intervention of the police saved the husband, who was immediately whisked for safety.
The woman’s “offense”
According to a commentator on Twitter, @AbdulMahmud1, the woman did not blaspheme at all. In his words,
A new narrative is emerging from Kano. This time from Mr Mike, husband of the deceased Bridget. She didn’t blaspheme the prophet, PBUH
Three Muslims were doing ablution- the washing of feet- in front of her shop and she asked them to move to a corner
The Muslims, instead of moving away, began to scream, Allahu Akbar. They accused of blasphemy. Then a mob gathered with axes of death
The intervention of her husband, Mike, didn’t save her. In fact, Mike was saved by police men who arrived the scene
He concluded by noting that “Kano has a problem. Northern Nigeria has a problem. The most dangerous interpretation of Wahabism has taken root there. No one is safe, including Muslims who are not Wahabists, not you, me.
The State Government Reacts
in a series of tweets from the handle of the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje OFR, the State Government gave insight into the efforts of the State Government at addressing the unfortunate incident:
H.E @GovUmarGanduje has been engaging stakeholders since morning over the death of Mrs Bridget Patience who was killed yday by mob action. H.E @GovUmarGanduje is indeed disturbed by this incidence & is personally saddened by this unfortunate mob action that led to her death. Since the incidence was brought to H.E’s attention, he has been meeting with several stakeholders in order to get the full details of it. This series of engagement with stakeholders just concluded with a meeting with Council of Ulamas, CAN Kano Chapter & leader of Igbos in Kano. The husband of late Mrs Bridget was also part of the stakeholders H.E engaged with throughout the day, including reps of security agencies.
At the end of these series of engagements, all stakeholders came to a mutual agreement & agreed on the following resolutions:
1- H.E @GovUmarGanduje on behalf of the state government wishes to express his condolences to the husband of the deceased & her family.
2- All the stakeholders unanimously agreed that Mrs Bridget Patience was illegally killed and also condemned the action in totality.
3- H.E @GovUmarGanduje along with the stakeholders also agreed that justice must be done as the suspect has been apprehended by the police.
4- The stakeholders, particularly the Council of Ulamas & the CAN leadership have also been urged to publicly condemn this barbaric act.
5- @GovUmarGanduje also urged the religious leaders to intensify efforts in enlightening the general public on taking laws into their hands
6- H..E @GovUmarGanduje also promised that the State Government will assist the family of the deceased prepare for the burial arrangements.
May the gentle soul of Mrs Bridget Patience rest in peace and May God give her husband and her family the fortitude to bear the loss.
For once, hopefully, this is not one murder that will be swept under the carpet again. Let us join fellow Nigerians in demanding #JusticeForBridget.
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