The gruesome stoning to death of Usman Buda, a butcher in Sokoto State, over alleged blasphemy, has drawn condemnation from Amnesty International.
According to Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s acting director, the butcher’s murder must be thoroughly investigated.
The human rights organization urged the government at all levels to bring the culprits responsible for the heinous murder to justice.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the killing of Usman Buda today at a market in Sokoto over alleged blasphemy. Nigerian authorities must immediately investigate this horrifying incident and ensure that those suspected of being responsible are brought justice,” the statement read.
Furthermore, the organization said the rate at which people are killed after in Northern Nigeria for alleged blasphemous acts stresses the need for the authorities to guarantee human rights.
“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,” he said.
Chronicle NG reported earlier that Buda, who was accused of blasphemy, was stoned to death by an irate mob in Sokoto.
Reacting to the murder, the police command in the state stated that an investigation has been launched to unravel the cause and identify those behind the killing.
