Blasphemy killing: Northern Govs, Ohaneze, APC Chairman meet in Imo

Okorocha, El-Rufai, Abubakar, Oyegun meet in Imo

 – Northern governors, Chief John Oyegun, met with Gary Igariway, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in Owerri – They discussed the killing of Igbo woman in Kano state, the issue of herdsmen and the unity of the country – Nasir El-Rufai said that Northern governors totally condemn the murder of the market woman in Kano, adding that those responsible for the crime must be brought to book – Governor Abubakar pointed out that he had liaised with the Kano state governor, who assured that arrests had been made and those responsible would face the full weight of the law – Igariway expressed satisfaction with the way Governor Ganduje was handling the case Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Whatsapp “We will not accept a situation where people, either Christians or Muslims, hide under the umbrella of religion to commit crime.” Governor Rochas Okorocha, his counterparts from Kaduna and Bauchi states, Nasir El- Rufai and Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, John Oyegun, the national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), met with Gary Igariway, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. During the meeting, which was held on Tuesday, June 7, in Owerri, they discussed the killing of Igbo woman in Kano state, the issue of herdsmen and the unity of the country. In his speech, Governor El-Rufai said that Northern governors totally condemn the murder of the Igbo woman in Kano, adding that those responsible for the crime must be brought to face the wrath of the law. “We will not accept a situation where people, either Christians or Muslims, hide under the umbrella of religion to commit crime. If someone had insulted God, the person should be left for God to take care of. I have advised the Kano governor to publicly deal with the people involved to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said. 

 The governor noted that now people are using religion as a tool to divide and even defraud people. “That necessitated the introduction of religion bill in Kaduna so that people can be stopped from using divisive languages in the name of religion,” he added. Commenting on the issue of herdsmen, El-Rufai noted that this problem was affecting the whole nation. He added that it is not a case of Fulani invading other tribes but a criminal activity that must be nipped in the bud. 

 Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi Also speaking, Governor Abubakar described the killing of the woman in Kano as an evil act. He pointed out that he had liaised with the Kano governor, who assured that arrests had been made and those responsible would face the full weight of the law. On the herdsmen problem, he noted that the traditional Nigeria Fulani herdsmen are not known to be criminally minded. However, because of the country’s porous borders, herdsmen from other African nations, especially after the fall of Libya, entered Nigeria. 

President Buhari reacts Chief Oyegun also noted that there were proofs that most of the crimes were committed by foreigners. He gave an instance of a Catholic priest in Benin who was kidnapped, and out of the number of those involved in his abduction only one was a Nigerian. “The nation has to rise to face these challenges squarely. I commend the leadership of Ohanaeze for their maturity in handling some of these sensitive issues,” he said. Chief Igariway, in his turn, expressed satisfaction with the way the governor of Kano state is handling the case. He commended the goodwill demonstrated by the Kaduna and Bauchi state governors and warned other leaders against making inciting statements. Meanwhile, the bishop of Nsukka Anglican Diocese, Rt. Reverend Aloysius Agbo, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that justice is done by bringing perpetrators of the gruesome crime to book. He also noted that the unlawful murder and the way the matter will be handled will be a ‘litmus test’ of the Buhari administration on issues concerning religion in Nigeria.