New Telegraph-Admin 
The repugnant and reprehensible mob burning to death of a female food vendor, simply known as Amaye in Kasuwan-Garba town in Niger State on August 30 over allegation of blasphemy, while responding to a request for relationship from a young man is totally unacceptable.
The fact that the police officers who had her in custody were helpless in protecting her from harm has again triggered the flaming questions about the scarce regards some religious extremists have for the sanctity of priceless, human life, here in Nigeria.
Even the fact that she was a Muslim could not save her from being sent to her early grave. In spite of the condemnation by the police of the hideous and heartrending act of the taking of a fellow human being’s life and the appeal to members of the public not to take the law into their hands, the worrisome aspect remains.
And that has to do with the exacerbation of impunity, as similar horror has been visited on the voiceless victims before. Unfortunately, most of the perpetrators of the blood-letting killings of fellow citizens have gone Scot-free!
While some of their victims were similarly accused of blasphemy, as it was with Amaye, or theft and shoplifting, others were accused of spell-binding witchcraft.
They were instantly beaten, tortured and killed with impunity yet; the suspected perpetrators always get away with it. That reminds us of how Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, in Sokoto was brutally stoned and burnt to death on May 12, 2022.
The police arrived at the scene after her death, yet in an incredible display of gross impunity those apprehended for her murder were left off the hook! When the culprits are the untouchables, or placed above the laws of the land that emboldens others with similar evil inclinations to continue with their crimes against humanity.
For instance, according to Amnesty International between January 2012 to August 2023, there were at least 555 victims of mob violence from 363 documented incidents across Nigeria. Over that period of investigation 57 people were killed by violent mobs; 32 were burnt alive, two persons were buried alive, while 23 people were tortured to death.
The menace of mob violence is perhaps one of the biggest threats to the right to life in Nigeria
Also AI records have shown that the victims of mob violence include at least 13 women, six children, and two people with actual or perceived mental health illnesses and/or psycho-social or intellectual disabilities.
In special terms, cases of mob violence were documented in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones with the South-South (82), SouthEast (43), South-West (98), NorthCentral (42), North-West (100) and North-East (26) Such a horrifying spectacle spells doom for defenceless Nigerians against the escalating failure of the security forces to protect the lives of the citizens.
The recurrence of such killings based on blasphemy, is common in northern Nigeria, where it is regarded as a criminal offence under Islamic (Sharia) law.
It operates alongside secular law in 12 dominantly Muslim states but it is out of sync with not only the United Nations Human Rights Declaration of the rights to life and free speech (1948) but also to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Unfortunately, AI has said that blasphemy was often “weaponised to settle personal scores” in northern Nigeria. It revealed that minor disagreement or argument, often “deliberately orchestrated”, leads to accusations of blasphemy, “and before you know it the mob lynches the accused instantly.”
From reports available to AI at least two other people have been lynched over such accusations in the last three years, with critics pointing out that not enough is being done to prevent the killings that have targeted both Muslims and Christians.
From the legal perspective Nigeria’s Supreme Court has in the past ruled that blasphemy allegations must be proven in a court of law.
That made it possible for a 13-yearold boy accused of blasphemy to win an appeal in Kano State while an atheist, Mubarak Bala was jailed for blaspheming Islam. These are more understandable, compared to that of an Abuja mob burning a man to death over row with a Muslim cleric.
According to Isa Sanusi, Director Amnesty International Nigeria, “The menace of mob violence is perhaps one of the biggest threats to the right to life in Nigeria.
The fact that these killings have been happening for a long time, with few cases investigated and prosecuted, highlights the authorities’ shocking failure to uphold and fulfil their obligation to protect people from harm and violence”.
He added: “The failure of law enforcement agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to prevent mob violence, investigate allegations of torture and killings, and bring suspected perpetrators to justice, is empowering mobs to kill”. We cannot agree any less with his strong and evidence-based position.
But sadly, the problem is compounded by weak and corrupt legal institutions and systems. All these prompt our call on the Federal Government to go beyond mere rhetoric and institute an insightful judicial panel to investigate this self decimating and life-wasting ogre of violence.
People in government should be reminded that their primary purpose is to provide security as well as the people’s welfare, and not to allow the Nigerian nation to descend into a Hobbesian state of the jungle rule of might is right.
