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Blasphemy: Gumi Condemns Deborah’s Murder
Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has cautioned Muslims against killing fellow human beings because of trivial issues; insisting that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) was insulted and scorned but he never killed in retaliation.
Gumi, who was reacting to the gruesome murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, said that any Muslim who kills a Christian in Nigeria because the prophet was insulted will not smell the fragrance of Jannah(paradise).
“Nigeria is not an Islamic state, Muslims in the country have an agreement with people of other faiths to live together peacefully and anyone who kills them on religious guise has committed a grievous sin,” he said.
Gumi spoke while preaching at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna.
He lashed out at some Muslim clerics who were quoting verses they don’t understand, and telling people to kill whoever insults their religion.
He quoted Quranic verses, saying killing a non-Muslim under the guise that the person uttered a blasphemous statement against Prophet Muhammad is not an excuse, “because Allah has told us in the Qur’an, the non-Muslims will insult Allah and His Prophet.
“In fact, it is now the blasphemy will start after the killing of that lady in Sokoto, the insult will increase, not reduce,” he said.
“Muslims of Nigeria that want to defend Prophet Muhammad should be ashamed of themselves because they are corrupt. The best way to go if we want to defend the Prophet is to follow his teachings.
“We the clerics need to wake up and teach the Muslims their religion. We must leave this state of ignorance, we have turned like animals. We the Muslims are not the only ones in this country.
“It is not only that we are not the only ones in this country, we must know that, there was nothing the unbelievers did not do to Prophet Muhammad, but he was patient, because he was conscious that if he killed them, the unbelievers he was trying to bring to the fold of Islam will tag him a killer.
“There are people who are neither Muslims not Christians in Nigeria, and everyone is trying to win their souls. Also, there people who are not Muslims, whom we are preaching Islam to, so that they can enter the fold of Islam and be salvage in the hereafter.
“If we now begin to kill people, they will say it is even from the leader of our faith, Prophet Muhammad that we have learnt it. They will say their religion is a religion of bloodletting. At a time we are trying to draw attention of people to see the beauty of Islam, we are now scaring them away.
“It is unfortunate that, we even see some clerics who are telling people that, whoever insults your religion, just kill then. They are quoting verses they don’t understand. There is no one who has the will to kill anyone except through the Islamic justice system. And in doing this, the conditions of such justice must be completed before anyone can be killed.
“Our religion is a civilised religion. The white people Learnt rule of law from Islam. But today we are the ones in this level of lack of civilisation, to the extent that an Islamic cleric is quoting Qur’an and Hadith spreading and encouraging barbarism.”
“People that have not been able to perfect their own acts of worship the way they are supposed to. People who don’t know how to pray properly are now the ones that say they want to dispense justice to people who commit blasphemy.
“What people don’t know is that, in the Islamic perspective, the world is divided into two, the Islamic world and the non-Islamic world, that is countries that are governed by the Islamic law and those that are governed by other laws.
“Those who are not Muslims are divided into two; there are non-Muslims that you engage in war, and there non-Muslims that, you have agreement with. Those you have agreement with are also divided into two; those who are living under the Islamic laws and those that are not bonded by the Islamic laws.
“Nigeria’s non-Muslims are not living under the Islamic laws, we all have an agreement under the Nigerian Constitution to live together. So, Prophet Muhammad said whoever kills a soul of non-Muslim that is under such agreement of living together, will not smell the fragrance of paradise, such person’s distance to paradise will be like a journey of 40 years.
“Killing a non-Muslim under the guise that, the person uttered a blasphemous statement against Prophet Muhammad is not an excuse, because Allah has told us in the Qur’an the non-Muslims will insult Allah and His Prophet. In fact, it is now the blasphemy will start after the killing of that lady in Sokoto, the insult will increase, not reduce.
“What Allah asked us to do in the face of blasphemy in a society like ours, is to be patient and preach to the people and make them understand our religion. In our kind of society, we don’t have the right to kill for blasphemy, otherwise, even many people who call themselves Islamic clerics who have equally been killed because they have fallen into blasphemy by calling Allah human being or saying they know tomorrow or those who have indirectly turned to Babalawo.
“The Prophet told us that, a time will come towards the end time, when people will feel like taking other people’s life. So, he said, instead of doing that, it is better for you to look for a rock and be boxing it, so that, you don’t the urge of killing anytime.
“So, who do we leave just justice for in the face of blasphemy? It is the authority. We don’t have the right to take up arms and kill anyone, except in self-defence, like when some comes for your life or an armed robber invades your house. You are not the one to defend Islam; in fact, you are making the work of those calling people into Islam difficult.
“The right thing the students who killed the lady in Sokoto ought to do is to report her to the school management, then the management reports to the governor or Sultan for them to know how to stop her. Just by hearing her commit blasphemy, you just went and carried out jungle justice on her, who taught you that? What do you want our country to turn into? We must leave these acts of barbarism.
“Is it even we the Muslims of Nigeria that want to defend Prophet Muhammad? We that are corrupt?We that cannot even be differentiated from unbelievers in corrupt acts.”
He said the best way to go if we want to defend the Prophet, is to follow his examples by being upright in all fronts.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has demanded quick and full resolution to the challenges arising from the gas leakage that occurred in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of the State.
The governor has also pledged to upgrade the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bille with a view to addressing the health challenges confronting the community.
Fubara made the pledge on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt during an enlarged meeting of key stakeholders, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, the state government and leaders of the community.
The meeting was held to review the situation in the community and explore available opportunities to save the people from the adverse impacts of environmental pollution.
Addressing the journalists at the end of the meeting, the governor acknowledged the determination of the Federal Government and its agencies to get to the root cause of the problem in Bille and ensure that it is resolved permanently.
“The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. You’re aware that there is a case of gas leakage somewhere in Bille and the people have been making some requests that the government should come to their rescue to resolve the situation.
“As a state, we have gone to see the situation in the community, not alone but in conjunction with the industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are doing today is an enlarged meeting where all the parties are sitting together to look at the cause of the issue and the most possible way to get the problem resolved,” he said.
Fubara described the outcome of the meeting as successful, stressing that more action would be taken in the next couple of weeks to ensure that the issue is fully resolved.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the meeting, expressed appreciation to the governor for his warm hospitality and efforts to address the challenge in Bille community.
Ekpo explained that contrary to the perception in certain quarters, the Federal Government has not been silent over the “gas seepage” but has been working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
The minister explained that as soon as the incident was reported, the Federal Government deployed experts to the area to understudy the cause of the problem.
According to him, it was difficult at first to understand the cause of the problem since there were no oil or gas infrastructure within the vicinity of the incident, hence the need to conduct a more detailed investigation.
“The investigation is still going but we decided to do a follow-up visit to the area to talk to the people of Bille Community that we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We can understand their anxiety, the worry and the danger that this thing poses within the area, but the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem. The primary responsibility of government is to take care of the welfare and security of the people and that is exactly why we are here to go and see things for ourselves,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, also explained that as the regulatory agency at the centre of the issue, no effort will be spared in the task of resolving the issue.
Eyesan pledged that the NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of the impacted people in terms of the provision of potable water and fire trucks to the community.
The Public Relations Officer, Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, Chief Rena Dappa, had during the meeting, presented the challenges facing the community and pleaded for government’s support to save the lives and livelihoods of the people.
President Bola Tinubu has announced the launch of a training programme for 5,000 young Nigerians as meter installers and technicians under the Presidential Metering Initiative.
The President stated that the scheme is aimed at creating jobs, closing the country’s metering gap and improving electricity supply.
The President disclosed this in a statement on his verified X handle yesterday, describing the initiative, tagged “The Power Force,” as part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand employment opportunities for young people.
According to Tinubu, the programme will equip participants with practical technical skills and connect them to employment opportunities in Nigeria’s power sector.
“Through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), which I established to close Nigeria’s metering gap, end estimated billing, protect consumers and strengthen the electricity market, we are opening a new pathway for 5,000 young Nigerians to be trained as meter installers and technicians under The Power Force. This programme is about jobs, skills and dignity,” he said.
Tinubu said the training would be open to eligible Nigerians who have completed their secondary school education, with a dedicated quota reserved for members of the National Youth Service Corps.
He noted that expanding electricity metering was critical to improving service delivery and promoting transparency in the power sector.
“When homes and businesses are properly metered, Nigerians can pay for what they actually use. When electricity distribution companies collect revenues more transparently and fairly, they are better able to reduce losses, maintain infrastructure, expand connections and invest in better service.
“This is how we build a power sector that is fairer to consumers, stronger for investors and better able to deliver reliable electricity to the Nigerian people,” the President said.
Tinubu said he had directed the Presidential Metering Initiative to work with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, and other relevant stakeholders to commence the programme within the next 30 days.
He encouraged qualified young Nigerians to apply, saying the initiative would provide them with marketable skills while supporting efforts to eliminate estimated billing and improve electricity access nationwide.
“I encourage eligible young Nigerians to apply. Join The Power Force. Learn a skill. Earn with dignity. Help us end estimated billing and be part of the work to light up Nigeria,” he added.
The Federal Government has announced that the third evacuation flight for Nigerians voluntarily returning from South Africa will arrive Lagos today having departed Johannesburg at midnight yesterday with 271 returnees on board.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its spokesperson, Mr Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
According to the ministry, the Air Peace-operated flight is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026.
It said the evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to facilitate the voluntary return of Nigerians from South Africa.
“The third evacuation flight operated by Air Peace will depart Johannesburg today by 12 midnight with 271 returnees. The estimated time of arrival in Lagos is 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026,” the statement read.
The latest batch of returnees follows earlier evacuation flights that brought hundreds of Nigerians back to the country under the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
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