AN angry mob in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have killed a man for making blasphemous statements against Islam in the Lugbe area of Abuja on Saturday.
A post on Twitter said the deceased was beaten before being burnt and an accompanying video showed a mob chanting “Allahu Akbar” around a raging fire.
“This afternoon mob has killed a guy and burnt him to ashes for blasphemy at Federal Housing Lugbe in Abuja” the tweet said.
The deceased was said to have been a member of a vigilance group in charge of a market at the Federal Housing Estate in the area.
The vigilance group had attempted to arrest some people wandering suspiciously around the market in the early hours of the day, but the suspects begged to be released in the name of Allah.
The deceased reportedly opposed the release of the suspects and made comments interpreted to be blasphemous.
This led to an attack during which he was beaten and stoned to death. The remains of the deceased was subsequently burnt.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command Josephine Adeh, however, said the deceased was killed after getting into a heated argument with an Islamic cleric.
“Today 4th of June 2022 at about 13:00hrs, one Ahmad Usman, a 30 years old member of the local vigilante around Tippa garage at Federal Housing Estate in Lugbe Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), got into an argument with a Cleric (Mallam) whose name is yet unknown from the same area.
“The heated argument degenerated into an outbreak of violence that led to the murder and setting ablaze of Ahmad Usman by the enraged mob mobilised by the clergy numbering about Two hundred (200).”
No arrests have been made so far.
However, Adeh noted that the police has restored normalcy in the area adding that efforts are being made to arrest of the culprits.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.