Amnesty International has condemned the killing of Usman Buda at a market in Sokoto over alleged blasphemy.
Buda, a butcher was said to have made the comment during an argument with another trader at the Sokoto main abattoir at about 8 a.m. on Sunday.
He was subsequently mobbed and killed.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the acting Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi called on the government to investigate the incident and bring the culprits to book.
Sanusi also urged the government to urgently nip the spate of killings over allegations of blasphemy in the bud.
The statement read, “Nigerian authorities must immediately investigate this horrifying incident and ensure that those suspected of being responsible are brought justice.
“The alarming uptick in blasphemy killings and accusations underscores the urgency with which the authorities must wake up to Nigeria’s international legal obligations to respect and protect human rights, including freedom of religion, opinion, and expression.
“Nigerian authorities need no more evidence to see how dangerous accusations of blasphemy are — leading to unlawful killings and even whole communities being attacked and their homes burnt. By failing again and again to ensure that those suspected of responsibility of killing(s) over alleged blasphemy are brought to justice the Nigerian authorities continue to create a permissive environment for brutality.”
