The Network of Africa Christian Journalists NACJOURN has expressed great worry over the state of the mind of Muslims in the North especially the youth among them following the gruesome murder of Deborah Yakubu.
Deborah Yakubu was murdered by an irate mob comprising of students of the Sheu Shagari College of Education where she was also a student on Thursday, May 13 for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed.
In a statement signed by the President of the group Dr. Bola Adewara and its Secretary, Mr. Dayo Emmanuel, the group said the way Northen Muslims think should be a concern to all Nigerians.
The group described the killing of the Sokoto lady as yet another “naked, senseless and irascible killing of a Christian in Northern Nigeria.”
The killing according to NACJOURN is more worrisome because it came from a tertiary institution. “At a time many Nigerians thought they were building a nation by doing away with illiteracy, suspicions, meaningless religious sentiments, and activities that stand reason on its head are having a field play in the North”
It noted, “The state of mind of many youths in Northern Nigeria if their comments on social media on this killing, are something to go by should be a source of worry to enlightened minds. Coming to think that these are the same youth we call leaders of tomorrow, we wonder if truly Nigeria has a tomorrow where everyone can live in peace, hold an opinion, and ventilate the same, without molestation and fear of being killed.”
NACJOURN said, “despite all efforts by successive governments to assist enlightenment in Northern Nigeria, which culminated in an investment of N60b in almajiri education by the Jonathan administration, we lament the current realities in that part of Nigeria.”
Past issues of murder on faith matter
NACJourn recalled past issues that have been swept under the carpet including, Gideon Akaluka, Christiana Oluwatosin Oluwasesin, Florence Chukwu, and Abdallahi Umar,
Others are Methodus Chiamajie, Eunice Elisha Olawale, Bridget Agbahime, and Tudun Wada.
“Culprits have never been arrested; and when arrested, like we have been told in this new case, no prosecution is made, and no one is punished.
“This gives us a conviction that in some parts of Northern Nigeria, anyone is free to kill Christians at the slightest disagreement and will go scot-free. Christians in Nigeria cannot continue to stomach the barbarism of these Islamic fanatics holding the nation by the jugular.”
NACJOURN in the strongly-worded statement counseled, “If the North is ready to transit from the Hobbesian state of nature to modern society, the time is now for their leaders, to revisit the state of mind of their youths, many of whom are still living 15th century in a 21st century, dragging Nigeria backward in all fronts.”
While thanking enlightened Muslims for always living according to the billing of the Islamic faith as a religion of peace, the group said, “the regular manifestation we see from the headquarters of Islam is that of intolerance and killing of innocent souls with no one punished.”
Christians be careful in the North
NACJOURN then advised Christians in Northern Nigeria to avoid religious discussions and arguments with people who are not of the same faith as them.
“They should be very careful in their associations with the bad eggs amongst the northern youths. They should be careful of those that have visible character traits of intolerance. This killing is too frequent and unacceptable. We want Christians to stay alive rather than become martyrs, to do the work Jesus gave us in Matthew 28.”
The group also called on Christian leaders in southern Nigeria to take another look at the plight of Christians in the North. “The time is now to form a synergy that works with the Christian North. We have to demonstrate that their plight is our plight, and we will never treat them with aloofness in sadness and pain.”
