The Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has condemned the jungle justice meted out to a girl, Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto state on the excuse of committing blasphemy against the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (SAW) on Thursday, describing such action as anti- Islam, barbaric and sad.
Newsbreak.ng reported that a female student, Deborah, of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State was on Thursday burnt alive for allegedly criticising the Prophet.
In a statement by the National President of MMPN, Abdur-Rahman Balogun in Abuja, the group described the mob killing of the girl in Sokoto as a criminal offence in Islamic law.
Quoting the Holy Koran, the group said any offence in Islamic law is decided by a judge and no other member of the public has that jurisdiction.
“In essence, it is a criminal offence in the Shari’ah of Islam for anyone or any group to take the law into their hands,” the statement read in part.
The group also commended the immediate action of the Sultanate Council and His Eminence Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar for condemning the criminal act and calling for calm pending the outcome of the investigation panel set up by the Sokoto state government.
Part of the statement also read: “As a body of Muslim Media Practitioners, we join all others to condemn this barbaric act and call for immediate justice on any individual or group of people found guilty of perpetrating this dastard act.
“This is so because if any individual or group is permitted to judge and execute punishments on their own without recourse to the constituted authority, there will be nothing but jungle justice and anarchy on the land.”
