Protest Rocks Katsina Over Alleged Blasphemy, Police Call For Calm
A protest has rocked Katsina city, the capital of Katsina State, over an alleged blasphemous social media post made by a Christian resident, Mani Habu, against a prophet of Islam.
Habu, who hails from Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village in the Batagarawa Local Government Area of the state, allegedly made the statement via a Facebook post in Hausa language which the locals deemed as blasphemous.
This, in effect, sparked outrage where an angry mob set his residence and vehicle ablaze.
The alleged blasphemous statement, which is now deleted from Facebook, claimed that Islam had no foundation and questioned the origins of the Qur’an.
Habu allegedly stated that Prophet Muhammad did not write the Qur’an and accused certain companions of creating it.
An eyewitness (name withheld) said the incident occurred on Tuesday, though Habu and his family managed to escape unhurt to an unknown destination.
“The situation however, escalated when an angry mob set fire to Habu’s car and house located at the Babbarruga Area,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesman, ASP Abubakar Sadiq.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on January 30, 2024, at about 2015hrs where the Batagarawa Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call on an ongoing protest at Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village of Batagarawa LGA over the alleged “blasphemy”.
“Upon receipt of the report, swiftly, officers were mobilised and drafted to the scene, where they successfully doused the tension, diminishing the risk of further damage.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, held a meeting with the state commissioner for religious affairs, traditional leaders, religious leaders, as well as all relevant stakeholders in the state.
“He implored them to call on their followers to embrace peace and be peace ambassadors at all levels, while calling on the general public to continue to be law-abiding and avoid taking laws into their own hands.
“He assured that detectives are actively pursuing various leads to identify and apprehend the culprit(s) behind the dastardly act, as he further reiterated that the command remains committed to preserving peace, law and order while ensuring the safety of the citizens of Katsina State.
“He stated that additional resources to enhance security measures throughout the area have been deployed.
“Increased police presence, surveillance, and coordinated community engagement initiatives have been implemented to prevent any potential breach of peace and to maintain a harmonious environment for all residents.
“The command urged anyone with information related to the incident to kindly come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation,” the statement added.
