Deborah Yakubu is on everyone’s lips; she’s the one we’re Goggling, finding out the latest reports on her. Just in case you missed it, Deborah was the female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto state who was burnt alive on Thursday, the 12th of May, 2022 over an alleged blasphemy. Deborah was accused of insulting Prophet Mohammed (SAW) in a WhatsApp voice note she posted in her class’s group chat. The story goes that Deborah got upset with some of her course mates who often posted religious topics on the group chat.
The group chat, said to have been set up to follow up on their academics soon became grounds for where her death sentence was pronounced.
What did she say?
“Send us important information. This group was not created for you to send useless information. It was created for you to send past questions if there is a test or an assignment. It is not for you to send useless information. Which prophet?”
Some of her colleagues felt insulted by this and declared her statements as being offensive.
Deborah was dragged out of her hiding place within the school’s premises, stoned like in mediaeval times and her dying body set on fire by gleeful youths.
Incidentally, one of the first leaders of northern extraction to condemn this animalistic attack was Presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar. He was said to have gone on Twitter to condemn this lynching saying, “There cannot be a justification for such gruesome murder. Deborah Yakubu was murdered, and all those behind her death must be brought to justice. My condolences to her family and friends.”
A commendable statement that ought to first have come from Aso Rock; thankfully Atiku Abubakar showed courage and immediately condemned the act…an act the rest of the so called Presidential hopefuls are yet to condemn as at the time of this post.
Atiku Abubakar before now has also been very vocal on social media, condemning the many atrocities committed around the nation; he is at most times known to condemn terrorists attacks, kidnappings and many issues of concern to the average Nigerian, so it was really no surprise that he was one of the first leaders of note to condemn the Sokoto attack.
But hours later, he deleted the tweets and dissociated himself from it, after he received threats from online bullies saying they would not give him their votes and they await to deal with him when he comes to campaign in Sokoto state; a clear threat to his presidential ambition!
A new post replaced the earlier posts; claiming he wasn’t responsible for them! He said instead in Hausa (why his response should be in Hausa is intriguing, too)
“This evening I received information that a post was made that doesn’t agree with my orders. I use this to announce that any post without A. A. is not from me. May God protect us.”
So is Atiku Abubakar telling us he agrees with the lynching after all?
By saying he had no hand in the earlier posts, is he now saying without many words, that Deborah deserved what she got?
Atiku Abubakar succumbed to the bullies online who are obviously keen supporters of the lynching of Deborah.
By succumbing to threats made to him, Atiku has told us we will generally be on our own should religious sentiments rock the country; he would not send soldiers, he would not protect the victims, he would cower like the present government has been doing every time Boko Haram struck villages, communities and military posts!
Actions like this only embolden the bullies; they see nothing wrong in their behavior; they will continue to take lives without repercussions. If nothing is done to stop it.
What will happen if Atiku Abubakar as a Muslim, says, “…this acts you have committed is unilsamic; I am a fellow muslim, the Quran forbids this”
Would he be considred a non-muslim for saying so?
The Sokoto Sultanate Council headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, have condemned the killing; the Sultan is the Spiritual head of Muslims in Nigeria; he clearly stands against this killing and yet, the man who may one day speak for us all as a nation regardless of tribe and creed, regardless of gender and religion has bowed to bullies, denying our collective need for a president without bias!
I’ll leave Aitku to his conscience and the rest of Nigeria, one state does not a nation make!
But what happened in Sokoto on Thursday is shameful!
Students turned against one of their own and set her on fire like we still live in the Stone Age!
These are students who are supposed to be getting an education to enlighten their minds and community have themselves discarded the knowledge gained, if they ever had one, and turned to savages that mobbed one of theirs…over what?
A claim that isn’t even substantiated.
But I have so many questions to ask these bullies.
Is there no place for forgiveness in the Quran?
Was Deborah’s sin so grievous she had to die?
Did the Quran really say we must stone people who even allude to the Prophet (SAW) in anyway?
Where are all these angry youths when Boko Haram was killing, still killing and abducting the young, the old, the rich/poor, whole communities all in the name of religion?
If anybody or group of persons desecrated the prophet (SAW) and his teaching for peace and love; surely it is Boko Haram, why didn’t these youths go out to fight them?
Where did they hide their anger at a sect using Islam to commit all manner of atrocities?
I pray to Allah to bring justice for Deborah because the Allah I grew up to know is loving, forgiving and encourages peace with our non-believing neighbours.