The Nigerian Humanist Movement has condemned the recent murder of a school teacher by Muslim students in Gombe state. The teacher was beaten to death for allegedly desecrating the Koran. Humanists are deeply worried by this killing, which was carried out less than a year after a similar accusation led to riots and deaths in Bauchi state. In 1996, Muslim fanatics in Kano beheaded a Christian Igbo trader, also for allegedly desecrating the Koran.
The Nigerian Humanist Movement has called on the Nigerian government to investigate the circumstances that led to the killing of the school teacher, and also to investigate other cases of religiously-inspired bloodletting. They have urged the Federal and state governments to live up to their responsibilities to protect the lives and rights of all citizens – whether believers or non believers – anywhere in the country, but especially of non-Muslims living and working in Islamic majority states.