Again Religious fanatics kill teacher, render 10 months old baby motherless*

[NewEte]

Daily Sun
*Religious fanatics render 10 months old baby motherless*
Wednesday, March 28, 2007



Temiloluwa Oluwaseesin is 10 months old. He is one of the two children of
the late Mrs. Oluwatoyin Christianah Oluwaseesin who was brutally murdered
by fanatical Muslim pupils in Gombe Wednesday last week. He may be too young
to know what has happened, but his actions suggest he knew that religious
intolerance had denied him of his dear mother.
At about 5.37p.m. last Saturday when the remains of the slain woman arrived
the premises of the Idi-Aba Baptist Church in Abeokuta, Ogun State, for
funeral service, little Temiloluwa cried uncontrollably as if he knew that a
calamity had just befallen him.

For about three minutes after the 504 Peugeot station wagon ambulance pulled
to a stop in front of the church and the remains of his mother was being
lifted from the booth of the car, the toddler stared at the coffin and burst
into tears again. It took so much time before he could be pacified and the
funeral service started.

Until her brutal murder by a group of fanatical Muslim students, the late
Oluwatoyin was a contract teacher at the Government Secondary School Gandu
in Gombe, Gombe State.

The little boy was not in grief alone. Other members of the congregation
around were also in sorrowful mood lamenting the gruesome murder of 'Sister
Toyin.'

The mother of two, (the oldest is two and a half years) met her untimely
death after she was accused of desecrating the Holy Quoran. A Christian who
was married to Dr. Oluwafemi Oluwaseesin about three years ago, she was said
to be invigilating an Islamic Religious Knowledge examinations at the school
when the incident happened.

The first born of her parents who lost her father only last year incurred
the wrath of the Muslim pupils after she allegedly collected a set of books
which unknown to her included a Holy Quran during the examination and threw
them away.

She was quoted to have said that the pupils wanted to cheat with the books
which were smartly wrapped in a Holy Quran.

The late teacher who was billed to take up another job in Abeokuta next
month was, however, believed to be unaware that the books she seized
included the Quran.

The pupils reportedly unleashed terror on her after the examination as they
waited for her outside the school premises during which she was allegedly
stabbed, stripped naked and later burnt to death.

The angry students chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great) also inflicted
injuries on the school principal who had tried to caution them against the
heinous act.

In the melee that was unprecedented in the school, the Islamic
fundamentalists also set the late teacher's car as well as three classrooms,
the school clinic, and administrative block ablaze among other property
destroyed in the school.

In his sermon, the pastor in charge of the Idi-Aba Baptist Church, Pastor
Matthew Alade Ogundeji lamented the death of the teacher, which he described
as unreligious.

Ogundeji gave meaning to each letter of the word 'death' and wondered why
anyone or group of people would kill for the sake of religion. "Let nobody
judge his fellow human being on the basis of religion for it is God
Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth that will judge all mortals."

While consoling the husband of the late teacher, the pastor said every
mortal must die one day. "No matter our position in life, whatever we think
we are or have achieved in this life, death must knock at our door one day".

"It is not death that matters, but how we spend our life here on earth
because we will all give our stewardship on the day of judgment. For our
dear Sister Toyin whom I learnt knew God before her death, she is resting in
the bossom of our Lord Jesus Christ," he added.

Honourable Samuel Kantoma Kumo, political Adviser to the Governor of Gombe
State lamented the death of Mrs. Oluwaseesin and prayed for the repose of
her soul. He recalled the efforts of the state government in checking the
ugly tide which he said included the closure of all schools in the state.

Husband of the late teacher for greater part of the funeral service remained
speechless. Dressed in a black shirt over a black trousers, he shook his
head in regret as the church choir rendered a special music on the vanity of
life. He cuddled little Temiloluwa while the service lasted.

[Dan-Borno]

What a disgusting incidence!!, its more than
being only a fanatic(s), but a murdererers.
I shall continue blaming our Government
who have shown none or less importance
on religious/religious sects activities in Nigeria.
Islam, Christianity or anyother religion never
clamour for death, especially in this pitiest
circumstances. 

[NewEte]

Again, this monstrosity is becoming an epidemic. When I was in high school in Lagos, we used to have to clear our desk of all materials. The only thing allowed on the desk during an examination were the exam papers and nothing more. Our bags, books, and all other possessions had to be dumped in front of the class and away from our reach. My question then is this, why isn't the same standard applied now and here? It is bad enough that students have to put cheat sheets in the Koran or disguise their 'expo' inside the Koran, but totally mind blowing when they respond with deadly violence when caught. And this has nothing to do with religion or even Islam, but unfortunately, this is the precedent that has been set for these killers from past examples where they were brainwashed into thinking any slight reference or handling of the Koran amounts to desecration. Now even when they are wrong, they cover their wrong doing with chants of Allah U Arkbar. This is what religion is capable of doing to people when used as a means of control.

I am deeply saddened for this victim's family. I am deeply saddened for the infant 10 month old whose life has been turned upside down. The viciousness of this murder is appalling. These thugs not only stabbed the woman, they stripped her naked, and torched her body like she was not even human. They couldn't even give her an open casket burial all because she cared enough to teach and attempt to instill some decency into those cannibals. She didn't deserve such satanic treatment, and nobody does either.

I am curious as to what the clerics in the north are saying or doing about this monstrosity that they have helped directly or indirectly to create. I also would like to know how Yar-Adua or Buhari would deal with this religious crime if elected President. So far, this is also being treated with the usual carefree attitude when the authorities should be treating cases like this with utmost seriousness and severity.

God help that country called Nigeria.

[_Waziri_]

Ete, Dan-Borno,

I hope it will do us quite well to understand that this topic, event and activity is the same as already discussed in another thread, in which we all condemned the actions of those fanatics. Alkanawi specifically gave a very  thorough and  wonderful analysis of the situation in the context of the events.

Please let us not pretend that some "Muslims" have done something again.

We can do well by discussion my lost cousin who died by the guns of Igbo armed robbers last year or my blood brother who lost his life in the hands of hired killers in some island in Lagos 17 years ago. Their souls were only unfortunate that they could not get the attention of the world press!

[NewEte]

Waziri, the point I am making is that all murders, especially those that are inspired by religion (any religion) should be condemned and then dealt with in the most severe form. It makes no difference what the origin of the victims is, we are against the senseless killing on innocent people. But you are right, this may be the same story, but reported yesterday by another tabloid. But in any case, this report shed a little more light to the gruesome murder. Alkanawi in her analysis was rationalizing the actions of the killers and blaming non Muslims for outcomes like this. That is a very reprehensible position to take on an issue like this. It is no different from saying victims of car jacking provoked the robbers into car jacking because they drove nice cars. So where violence thrives, there is no such thing as too much publicity. All the while that it has happened without any action, what changed? Isn't this why it is becoming an epidemic? The least we can do is publicize it so that proper awareness and focus is directed at this issue.

[alkanawi]

Ete i think it is the same incident we were discussing on the "muslim pupils kill teacher" thread.

[NewEte]

Yes, I noticed after it was posted. I suppose this one offers a little more information than the previous one and as such appeared to be another incident. Thank Goodness that isn't the case, but this is still very tragic.

Let me just add here also that Waziri's loss (according to him) in the slaying of his siblings and a relative some years ago in Lagos by armed robbers and other unknown persons is completely tragic. I said earlier that murder is murder, and the senseless loss of human life is both tragic and unacceptable. This is why the sick people that show disregard for human life need to be dealt with in a most severe manner. We should recognize evil for what it is, even it operates under the guise of religion. Human life is precious. So I condemn religiously motivated killings. I condemned armed robbery with we all know has claimed it's own share of lives in Nigeria. I condemn ethnic conflict because this too has a propensity to cause significant loss of life in a most brutal manner. But things get out of control when they are not checked at the minimal stages. When people get away with crimes and are protected by influential people or organizations, what often happens is that they become bolder and do whatever knowing that no consequence exist for their actions.  Nigeria has been this way for decades and believe me, there is a consequence for this too.