The truth about Zamfara blasphemy killings –Gov Yari

Governor Abdullaziz Yari of Zamfara State has said that the allegation of blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Mohammed that led to the killing of eight people in Talata-Marafa in the state was false.

The governor stated this while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Governor Yari met with the president alongside his Borno State counterpart, Kashim Shettima.

The governor, who said that Talata-Marafa is his home town, vowed that the state government would not take the incident lightly.

It would be recalled that eight people were reportedly killed when a mob set ablaze the house a man said to have rescued a student of a polytechnic that was accused of blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed.

The governor disclosed that intelligence reports from security agencies in the state showed that it was a case of a fight between two students that led to a false alarm.

Gov Yarı said: “Intelligence reports from the security agencies indicated that there was a fight between two students, during which one said the other abused Prophet Muhammed.

“Students beat up the other boy, said to be a Yoruba from Kogi State. His religion was, however, in contention.

“They beat him until he collapsed and they thought he was dead. Then security personnel requested help from a shop owner who took him to the hospital in his car.

According to him, the students went to the hospital when they got to know that their victim was still alive but soldiers prevented them from gaining access.

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He however said he does not know if the student is still alive.

Continuing, the governor said: “Then the students returned to the polytechnic and burnt the shop of the man who helped the victim. Unfortunately, the police in the division didn’t have enough men to contain the riot.

“Before reinforcement came, the crowd also burned down the man’s house. Everyone in the house was killed, all of them Muslims, despite the rumour in the social media that Christians were being killed in Zamfara.

“In fact, the mob wanted to go and burn churches and attack non-Muslims, but the security forces stopped them. It is my home town, where I also live.”

Towing the same path as President Buhari, Gov Yari said it was wrong for anyone to kill another person because he abused Prophet Mohammed in a society where there is a government.

“There are laws and there are courts where Islamic laws are practised in Zamfara. So, why should someone take laws into his hands? Definitely, all the culprits will be brought to book.”

He however said no one has been arrested in connection with the killings, adding that policemen and officials of the Department of State Services, DSS, were working hard to apprehend the culprits.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

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