Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has said Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder that may soon explode.
Fani-Kayode was reacting to the killing of a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto, Miss Deborah Samuel.
The student was beaten to a pulp and burnt alive on Thursday by male Muslim students who accused her of insulting Prophet Muhammed via a WhatsApp platform.
However, Fani-Kayode described Deborah’s killing as barbaric.
In a series of tweets, the former Minister wrote: “The barbaric slaughter of Deborah, a young, female Christian student in Sokoto by her fellow students who, within minutes, transformed themselves into a rampaging and wild mob of religious bigots and fanatics is totally unacceptable.
“Politics or no politics, the authorities must bring the culprits of this heinous and condemnable act to justice and ensure that the targeting and brutal slaughter of our people by homicidal maniacs & rabid mobs, for whatever reason, ceases forthwith.
“Whilst it is important that we respect each other’s religious sensitivities we must also acknowledge & recognise the fact that Nigeria is a SECULAR state where free speech is guaranteed by the constitution and that killing others for no just cause is an indefensible unacceptable way to behave.
“The number of calls that I have received today over this issue from members of the Christian community and Church and Christian leaders in our country are legion and the outrage is real.
“The truth is that we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder and must do all in our power to ensure that it does not explode. We cannot and must not tolerate the lynching of Christians, Muslims or members of any other religious faith in our streets by frenzied and rabid mobs for ANY reason whatsoever.
“We must also put a stop to the targetting and murder of members of other ethnic nationalities. We are not a nation of animals but one of civilised human beings who must always be compassionate, respectful, disciplined and restrained when it comes to interacting with one another.”