The release of suspects in the murder of the Christian woman, who hailed from Imo State, has further shown that Nigerians are not the same as a people.
This was the view of Sir Clinton Emekoma, a Knight in the Anglican Church and a member of the Orodo community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, the home community of the slain woman, Mrs. Bridget Agbahime, when he spoke to Christian Voice at the weekend on the issue.
Visibly angry over the development, Sir Clinton said that Nigeria had no business being together if they cannot have a common value system.
“This is the time to send a message that if they want us to be together, they should allow a common value system. The country cannot exist in a polarized value system”, he said.
All the five suspects standing trial in a Kano magistrate's court over the killing of Mrs. Agbahime (74), a trader based in the state where released.
The accused, Dauda Ahmed, Abdulmumeen Mustafa, Zubairu Abubakar, Abdullahi Abubakar and Musa Abdullahi, were facing a four-count change of allegedly inciting disturbance, culpable homicide, joint act and mischief.
Chief Magistrate Muhammed Jibril discharged the five accused and terminated the case” in line with the directive of the Attorney-General of the state.
Reacting further, Sir Clinton, who said he was concerned because the victim was from his hometown and that the attack was on Christians, and their faith, called on the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other groups to see the case to its justifiable conclusion.
He regretted that the country had ended up describing corruption only in the context of cash while worse acts are being perpetrated.
He insisted that a move must be instituted to stop the serial killing of Christians and Ndigbo in the northern part of the country, which he trace to have origin in the 1966 coup by the Nigerian soldiers that was erroneously interpreted to be an act by the Igbo and recalled that the northerners unleashed an onslaught on soldiers of Igbo origin, extending to civilians and finally resulting to a war that was prosecuted to decimate the Igbo.
The knight said that he was not surprised that the case ended the way it did and the so-called miscreants were released to continue doing what they were apparently raised to do.
On the seeming disregard for human life on the part of the perpetrator, he quoted Proverbs 12:10 which states that “the righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel”.
Sir Clinton urged Christians not to have a misconception of Christianity, insisting that people should stake their lives for just causes.
Meanwhile, the CAN, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), the Indigenous People of Buiafra (IPOB) and the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) all have condemned the court's decision.
MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, described the judgment as having some Islamic sentiments and a calculated directive form the Kano State government to deny Ndigbo justice.
While OYC National President, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that the group would appeal against the ruling, warning of a massive protest, IYM's founder, Mr. Elliot Ukoh, said it was a slap on Christianity and to the people of the South East.
Similarly, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) Northern CAN, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, said in Kaduna that the judgment brought more odium on the judiciary, stating that there was a clear and pressing need to ensure the judiciary discharges its duty creditably.
He urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to, as a matter of urgency, call the Kano State government to order, regretting that it turned out that way despite evidences presented against the suspects.
(c) Christian voice newspaper
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