A mispronunciation taken to be blasphemous in Nigeria’s north sparked a riot by Muslim youths Thursday, leaving four people dead as well as a church and shops burnt, police and residents said.
“What happened in (the town of) Bichi was misinformation,” Kano state police chief Ibrahim Idris told reporters. “Rumours went round that someone blasphemed the Prophet and there was a breakdown of law and order.”
Residents reported four people dead along with the church and Christian-owned shops burnt.
The riot came on the same day that former British prime minister Tony Blair and the incoming spiritual head of the world’s Anglicans Justin Welby launched an initiative in the Nigerian capital Abuja aimed at Muslim-Christian reconciliation.
According to Idris, a Christian tailor mispronounced the name of a dress while chatting with his Muslim neighbour in Hausa, the major language spoken in the north, changing the meaning to ‘the Prophet has come to the market’.
Idris however denied anyone was killed, though residents spoke of the deaths. Bichi is located some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Kano, the largest city in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.
“Four Igbos were killed in the attacks. One of them was thrown into a ditch near my house,” one resident said, referring to a mainly Christian ethnic group.
“Scores of shops owned by Christians and a church were burnt by a large mob of Muslim youth who set bonfires on the road and disrupted traffic.”
Another resident said he saw four dead bodies “hacked with machetes by the rioters”. Religious and ethnic tensions in the country regularly lead to outbreaks of violence.
Its unfortunate that people like you are making these kind of statement with mayopic perception,without making thoruogh investigations.Crises are natural phenomenon,and its not peculiar to one ethnic tribe base or religious creeds.We as muslims nobody encourages figthing,killing and maiming one another.Is it crime to be a muslim and northerner?.Have you forgothen bayero university kano episode,is it not the same christian from south that masacre his fellow christian brothers during a church services on sunday ,claiming to be boko haram in person of austin effiong from Niger Delta,so tell me what games are you people playing?.Yes we value our our cows,bicos the same cow that we transport down to the south for there sustainace,you cam see how we are interdependent on each other.By the grace of almihty Allah nothing would happen to us here in the north and the entire country.
God shall surely unveilled those who are perpetrating these heinous crime,hidden under the umbrella of boko haram,simply bicos there intention was to destroyed and destabilized the northern unity,all in the name of religion.
Shutup damian or whatever you called yourself,do you think you have religion,what have christianity got to offer, you bastard fool,is it the cases of rape and romantic dance in churches that you called religion or salvation.Dont allow sentiments to be cloud your sense of reasoning,i read bible try to read holy quran please,the only religion in sight of almighty is islam.
These people are always ready to fight and kill in the name of that their prophet,God forgive,an animal like mohammed sef,so the people are like him*
Islam religion of peace,see the contrast and who are they decieving sef,don't blame em,I blame the igbos who are still residing among killers,demons,illeterates,God would punish these religion,it has brought nuffin than death even since the time of the useless mohammed,how many times they hear say christians fight cos someone ridiculed Jesus,must u fight for a dead rapist called mohammed
When will all these killings stop. 4 people killed and churches and shops burnt down jus becus of a little mistake of misprounanciation. God save us.
Allah Ya Sauwake mana.
Allah Ya Sauwake mana.
I think a reasonable Igbo man or woman should know that both muslim and non muslim in the north don't like igbos at all. Cat and rat has nothing good in the common. Igbos should leave and come back home if the really value their lives more that material things
Its just so unfortunate that some stupid Igbo people because of the money that'll kill them still prefer to stay in the north. Why not leave the north for the northerners and ply your trade in a place where you ll be recognised as human and not where some blood thirsty religious bigots would trade your life so cheaply since they don't even value their own life. Pls if you know are not a Muslim pls leave the north for Muslims. They are just too archaic for my liking. Just for you to know how funny they could be, they value the life of a cow more than any human life. Pls leave the north in your droves now. We won't pity you again if anything terrible happens o.
MORONS. Islam the religion of peace….***spits***
"Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:" (Psalms 2:1-5).
What nigerian turning into, lord help us all.