3 weeks after Gov Yari threatened Koran desecrators, jihadists in Zamfara burn 8 to death over blasphemy

3 weeks after Gov Yari threatened  Koran desecrators, jihadists in Zamfara burn 8 to death over blasphemy

Barely three weeks after Governor Abdulaziz Yari, threatened to "deal decisively’ with Qur’an desecrators" about eight persons have been burnt to death in Zamafara State by Islamic jihadists. The victims were killed on Monday in Talata-Mafara community the state after violence erupted over alleged blasphemy against Islam by a student of Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, Talata-Mafara.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara had warned that the state government “will deal decisively” with anyone caught desecrating the Holy Qur’an in the state.

Yari made the declaration on Monday (1st August, 2016) while addressing newsmen shortly after meeting with the state’s Council of Ulama Consultative Forum in Gusau.

The student was alleged to have made a blasphemous statement against Islam and Prophet Muhammad and was consequently attacked by a mob.

The boy was said to have been beaten to pulp by the mob, when a man, whose name was simply given as Tajudeen, took him in his car and rushed him to a hospital.

A witness said the mob, angered by Tajudeen’s act, moved to his house, set it on fire and killed eight persons.

Governor Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari joined hundreds of people to bury the deceased who were killed when an angry mob set fire on the house of a man who tried to rescue the student.

The governor, who called for an emergency Security Council meeting over the incident, expressed sadness and vowed that “no stone will be left unturned until all those behind this act are brought to book”.

The police have imposed a 12-hour curfew in the community, from 7p.m. to 7a.m. daily until further notice, with warning that anyone caught violating the order would be prosecuted.

Governor Yari earlier this month said the State House of Assembly would soon review its law number seven so that the culprits would be prosecuted under Shariah law if they were arrested. He made the comment against the backdrop of the discovery of mutilated pages of the Holy Qur’an in sewage in Gusau which attracted public outcry.

He said those who committed the offence did so to perpetrate their evil machinations and called on the public to pray that such evil doers did not succeed in their mission.

The governor said the state had never experienced such situation especially since it launched the application of Shariah legal system in 2000.

He said the state government would investigate the motive behind the act which came to public knowledge during the last Ramadan fast.

He said while the state government would continue to encourage preaching against the act, it would also deploy security personnel to monitor possible places where the acts were carried out.