Category: News

Abuja, Nigeria — A woman accused of blasphemy was killed by a mob in Niger State, northern Nigeria, over the weekend, police confirmed on Sunday. The victim, identified by local media as a food vendor named Amaye, was reportedly set ablaze following a dispute in the town of Kasuwan-Garba. According to police, the incident began when a man allegedly made a light-hearted marriage proposal to the vendor. Her response was deemed blasphemous by some individuals nearby, sparking a violent reaction. “Unfortunately, it led to a mob attack, and the victim was set ablaze before a reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene,” said Wasiu Abiodun, spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command. Authorities have condemned the killing, describing it as an act of “jungle justice.” An investigation is currently underway to identify and prosecute those responsible. Police have also appealed for calm, urging the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. Mob violence linked to allegations of blasphemy has been a recurring issue in parts of northern Nigeria, where Islamic (Sharia) law operates alongside the country’s secular legal system in 12 predominantly Muslim states. Blasphemy is considered a criminal offence under Sharia law. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns about the misuse of blasphemy allegations. The group stated that such accusations are often “weaponised to settle personal scores,” and warned that they frequently lead to extrajudicial killings. “A minor disagreement or argument, often deliberately orchestrated, can escalate into mob violence,” Amnesty said in a recent statement. “The accused are often lynched before any legal process can begin.” The killing in Kasuwan-Garba follows a series of similar incidents in recent years. In 2022, Deborah Samuel, a university student in Sokoto State, was beaten and burned alive after being accused of making blasphemous remarks. In 2023, a butcher named Usman Buda was stoned to death in the same state under similar circumstances. While Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech and religion, the country remains sharply divided over issues of faith, justice, and the rule of law. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that blasphemy allegations must be tried in a court of law, not adjudicated through mob violence.

Abuja, Nigeria — Former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Sirika, has alleged that certain domestic airlines were responsible for the collapse of the Nigeria Air project — a proposed national carrier in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Sirika said that domestic carriers, including Air Peace, Azman Air, and United Nigeria Airlines, acted under the umbrella of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to frustrate the initiative. According to him, their opposition stemmed from the proposed ownership structure, in which the Nigerian government was to hold only a 5% stake. Sirika defended the transparency of the Nigeria Air agreement, noting that it was approved by both the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC). He emphasized that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model followed all required procedures, including obtaining necessary certifications from the ICRC. “It was not our process — it was the process of the ICRC. It was not a bad deal,” Sirika stated. “Some people went to court to say we cannot establish an airline where we take five per cent. That was what stalled it.” The former minister also rejected allegations that N100 billion was spent on the failed project, clarifying that only N5 billion was budgeted for Nigeria Air between 2015 and 2023, with N3 billion released and about N2 billion spent — largely on consultancy and staffing. Sirika defended the decision to partner with Ethiopian Airlines, citing the lack of capacity among domestic carriers to compete with established international airlines. He argued that Ethiopian Airlines, with nearly eight decades of operational experience, was a logical partner to develop a sustainable national carrier. “Today, 95% of all airlines operating within Africa are non-African — British Airways, Qatar Airways, Air France, and others. Ethiopian Airlines is one of the few successful African carriers, and they came to partner with us to open up the world,” he said. Sirika noted that the lack of a strong national airline contributes to the high cost of international flights from Nigeria. He cited the example of airfare between Abuja and London being more expensive than from Accra to London. He urged the public to invoke the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to scrutinize the details of the agreement, promising to release a book offering deeper insight into his tenure and the Nigeria Air saga. The Nigeria Air project was one of the most controversial initiatives of the Buhari administration’s aviation policy. Though unveiled with much fanfare in 2018 and relaunched again before the end of Sirika’s term in 2023, the airline failed to commence commercial operations before his departure from office.