…As court frees suspects that
allegedly murdered Igbo woman in Kano

From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri and Noah Ebije, Kaduna

Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB and the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and Abuja have expressed bitterness over the court judgment that discharged the five suspects who stood trial for the killing of Mrs. Bridget Agbahime in Kano State for alleged blasphemy.
In separate reactions, MASSOB and CAN condemned the decision of the court and accused the Kano State government of bias in the whole affair.
MASSOB leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu flayed the Kano State Government for the acquittal of  the Islamic fundamentalists who attacked and murdered Agbahime at the Magistrate court.
He described the judgment as further poof that Ndigbo would never get justice in Nigeria and especially in the Islamic North where Ndigbo have become targets of attacks by Islamic fundamentalists who have never been prosecuted.
Madu who spoke in reaction the judgement of the Kano State Magistrate Court which  absolved the alleged murderers of Madam Agbahime of non-culpability said that MASSOB was not surprised that nobody was found guilty as the directive had come from the government.
His words: “We are not surprised about the insensitive judgment of the Kano State Magistrate Court which has discharged and acquitted the Islamic fundamentalists who attacked and murdered Madam Agbahime of any crime, because the directives must have come from the Kano State government. The gruesome murder of Madam Agbahime is among the uncountable religious and political killings of Ndigbo in the Islamic north, which had gone unpunished by the authorities because Ndigbo and other Christians are considered as infidels whose death mean nothing.
“This is a clear case that Ndigbo are not wanted in Nigeria and especially in the north as they cannot get justice.”
The leader of MASSOB who described the judgment as a slap on Ndigbo challenged the political, religious and traditional leaders and especially the Imo State Government to rise to the defense of the family of the bereaved.
Similarly, the Public Relations Officer, Northern CAN, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, who spoke with newsmen in Kaduna, said the judgment had  brought more odium on the judiciary stating that there was clear and present 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 Attorney General to order to ensure that justice was done in the case.
He lamented that despite all the evidences presented against the five suspects, namely, Zubairu Abubakar, Musa Abdullahi, Dauda Ahmed, Abdullahi Abubakar and Abdulmumeen Mustafa, the Kano State Attorney General through the Principal State Counsel, Mr. Rabiu Yusuf told the court: “We received the case diary from the police on June 8. Having gone through the case diary, the Attorney General of Kano State evaluated the facts in accordance with Section 130 and 150 of the Criminal Procedure Code, and presented the legal advice.”
Hayab explained that the legal advice presented to the court dated June 24, by the Attorney General stated that there was no case to answer as the suspects were all innocent.
He further said: “This action can only encourage people to take laws into their hands since evil is seen to be unpunished and many other groups will be tempted to harm or kill innocent citizens under any and every false guise since they can buy their freedom from the courts.”
Hayab assured that CAN would not relent in pursuing the matter until justice was seen to have been done.
He enjoined Christians and the general public to remain calm, assuring that all avenues would be explored to ensure that justice was done.
Agbahime, 74, an Imo State indigene was murdered on June 2, 2016 in Kofar Wambai Market area of Kano State by Islamic fundamentalists who falsely accused her of blasphemy against Islam.