Ekweremadu

The Senate on Tuesday condemned the recent killing of a 74-year-old woman in Kano and urged the Federal Government to ensure that the culprits were prosecuted.

Mrs Bridget Agbahime, was killed on Wednesday in a market in Kano after she was accused of blasphemy against Islam.

Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekwerenmadu, who presided at plenary, said that it was imperative for the police and other relevant agencies of government to ensure that the culprits were prosecuted.

According to a NAN report, Ekwerenmdu, who was responding to a Point-of-Order raised by Sen. Samuel Anyanwu (PDP – Imo East) for the Senate to address the killing, said that government must ensure protection of lives and property of all Nigerians.

“ Let me on behalf of the Senate express our condolences to the family and to the people of your constituency, the entire Enugu State and indeed the entire Nigerians.

“This is because every soul matters to us as Nigerians; the rate of killing in Nigeria is becoming very embarrassing.

“We must do everything as leaders to protect lives and property of the citizens of this country. Every life matters to us so we cannot continue on the path of diminishing human life.

“It is the responsibility of security agencies to ensure that every Nigerian is protected wherever he lives.

“To ensure that this doesn’t happen again, every effort must be made to fish out those responsible so that they will face the full wrath of the law.

“We believe that this might be the last of this kind of incident anywhere in Nigeria,” Ekwerenmdu said.

Earlier, Anyanwu had condemned the killing of the woman and called on the senate to rise and condemn it.
He commended the governor of Kano State and the commissioner of police in the state for arresting some suspects in connection with the incident.

“I think it should go beyond that. We do not want a situation where someone is being detained today, after a period of time we will not hear about that matter again.

“The worst that could happen to a man is for his wife to be killed right before him.

“I think this senate should rise and condemn this kind of act; we are one Nigeria and we all believe in one Nigeria and we want to respect our religious affiliations in this country.

“This country must be united. You will agree with me that the Igbos are the most liberalised people in Nigeria because we believe in one Nigeria, we live in every part of Nigeria.

“So, I feel bad the way we are being treated. So, I think this senate should rise and ask the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that the culprits in this matter are brought to book,” he said.

NAN reports that Ekwerenmadu did not allow an open debate on the matter.
-NAN