Ohanaeze condemns Kano beheading of Christian Woman

04/06/2016 

 

CAN meets with Ganduje

 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano State chap­ter yesterday, con­demned in the strongest terms, the gruesome decap­itation of Mrs Mike Agba­himeh by suspected Islam­ic fundamentalists in Kofar Wambai market on Thurs­day, calling on the Kano State government to immediately launch a full-scale investiga­tion into the crime.

Mrs Agbahimeh, an Imo State indigene and wife of a Deeper Life Bible Church pastor, was beheaded over al­legations that she blasphemed Prophet Mohammed.

The incident which sparked off tension in the state resulted in heavy secu­rity presence in the ancient commercial city.

Mosques were heavily guarded during the Friday Juma’t Prayer just as a com­bined team of police, soldiers and agents of the State Secu­rity Service (SSS) patrolled the state.

Kano State chairman of Christian Association of Ni­geria (CAN), Bishop Ran­som Bello, in a chat with The AUTHORITY on Saturday, described Mrs Agbahimeh’s killing as shocking and un­fortunate, adding that CAN would do everything possi­ble to ensure that justice was done.

As at the time of filing this report, CAN was meet­ing with Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the inci­dent which has received wide­spread condemnation across the world.

In a statement signed by Ohanaeze’s state chairman and secretary respectively, Chief Chris Chukwubuzor Azuka and Chief Damian Obisike, and made available to The AUTHORITY on Sat­urday, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization said it was shocked by the develop­ment.

The statement reads: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Kano State is saddened by the vio­lent incident at Kofar Wam­bai Market Thursday even­ing which led to the gruesome murder of Mrs Agbahimeh by some elements within the market who accused her of blasphemy against Islam.

“We wish to condemn the extra-judicial murder of Mrs Agbahimeh and we call on the authorities to take every step needed to properly investigate the incident so as to ascertain exactly what happened and to hold those responsible ac­countable for their actions.

“We are worried by the alarming culture of violence and bloodshed in Nigeria where faceless elements take laws into their own hands of­ten on the ground of religion without recourse to the rule of law.

“We call on all Kano cit­izens, especially, the Sabon Gari Community to remain calm and law abiding while the incident is being investi­gated.