Protest Rocks Katsina Over Alleged Blasphemy, Police Call For Calm

A blasphemous social media post allegedly posted by a Christian citizen, Mani Habu, against an Islamic prophet, has sparked a demonstration in Katsina City, the state capital of Katsina State.

Naija News reports that the blasphemous post was made by Habu, who is from Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village in the Batagarawa Local Government Area of the state.

According to reports, he made the blasphemous post in his local Hausa dialect via his Facebook account.

Now removed from Facebook, the purportedly blasphemous post questioned the Qur’anic origins and asserted that Islam lacked a foundation.

This caused a riot in which an angry crowd set fire to both his house and car.

Habu is said to have claimed that the Qur’an was written by some of Prophet Muhammad’s companions rather than him.

Spokesman for the Katsina State Police Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, confirmed the development in a statement. He explained that the incident happened on January 30, 2024, at approximately 2015 hours, when the Batagarawa Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call regarding an ongoing protest at Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village of Batagarawa LGA regarding the alleged “blasphemy.”

The statement read, “Upon receipt of the report, swiftly, officers were mobilised and drafted to the scene, where they successfully doused the tension, diminishing the risk of further damage.

“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, held a meeting with the state commissioner for religious affairs, traditional leaders, religious leaders, as well as all relevant stakeholders in the state.

“He implored them to call on their followers to embrace peace and be peace ambassadors at all levels, while calling on the general public to continue to be law-abiding and avoid taking laws into their own hands.

“He assured that detectives are actively pursuing various leads to identify and apprehend the culprit(s) behind the dastardly act, as he further reiterated that the command remains committed to preserving peace, law and order while ensuring the safety of the citizens of Katsina State.

“He stated that additional resources to enhance security measures throughout the area have been deployed.

“Increased police presence, surveillance, and coordinated community engagement initiatives have been implemented to prevent any potential breach of peace and to maintain a harmonious environment for all residents.

“The command urged anyone with information related to the incident to kindly come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.”