Sokoto: Fani-Kayode Threatens To Return To The ‘Trenches’, As He Reveals What Govt Must Do To Deborah’s Killers

A former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Femi Fani-Kayode has condemned the barbaric killing of Deborah Samuel, a Christian female students at Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State.

Naija News had reported earlier that a young lady identified as Deborah was lynched and set ablaze by her Muslim colleagues for allegedly insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

A gory image and video clip of the incident on Thursday caused stirs on social media.

Reacting in a post on his Twitter handle, Fani-Kayode urged both the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government to arrest the culprits and also stop future occurance.

The former minister noted that he had sheathed his “swords in good faith“, limited his criticisms, refused to be confrontational and sought to build bridges of love, compassion, unity, forgiveness and understanding for almost two years now.

He however warned that this must not be taken for granted and neither does it mean “we cannot return to the trenches.”

Fani-Kayode wrote: “The barbaric slaughter of Deborah, a young, female Christian student in Sokoto by her fellow students who, within minutes, transformed themselves into a rampaging and wild mob of religious bigots and fanatics is totally unacceptable.

“Worse still it has set back ethnic and religious harmony in our country and threatens to fuel and ressurect age-old divisions, bad blood, malevolence and malice between our people.

“We must resist the temptation of going back to the heady days of harsh confrontation, undue antagonism and reckless abandon but at the same time let no-one be mistaken about our resolve to resist evil and the sort of gratuitous violence that these road-side butchers have displayed.

“The truth is that our people will never accept this level of barbarism and neither will they continue to remain passive and turn the other cheek if it continues. Both the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government would do well to do everything in their power to put a stop to it.

“We have sheathed our swords in good faith, limited our criticisms, refused to be confrontational and sought to build bridges of love, compassion, unity, forgiveness and understanding for almost two years now. This must not be taken for granted and neither does it mean we cannot return to the trenches.

“Politics or no politics the authorities must bring the culprits of this heinous and condemnable act to justice and ensure that the targetting and brutal slaughter of our people by homicidal maniacs and rabid mobs, for whatever reason, ceases forthwith.

“Whilst it is important that we respect each others religious sensitivities we must also acknowledge and recognise the fact that Nigeria is a SECULAR state where free speech is guaranteed by the constitution & that killing others for no just cause is an indefensible and unacceptable way to behave.

“The number of calls that I have received today over this issue from members of the Christian community and Church and Christian leaders in our country are legion and the outrage is real.

“The truth is that we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder and must do all in our power to ensure that it does not explode. We cannot and must not tolerate the lynching of Christians, Muslims or members of ANY other religious faith in our streets by frenzied and rabid mobs for ANY reason whatsoever.

“We must also put a stop to the targetting and murder of members of other ethnic nationalities. We are not a nation of animals but one of civilised human beings who must always be compassionate, respectful, disciplined and restrained when it comes to interacting with one another.

“May God guide and defend our people and may He keep the peace and preserve the unity of our nation. Our union may have its’ challenges and its’ ups and downs but we must iron out our differences in a peaceful manner and make it work.

“May the soul of the young lady that was murdered rest in peace and may the Lord comfort her family and loved ones.”

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