Christianah Oluwatoyin Oluwasesin

Christianah Oluwatoyin Oluwasesin
Born
Ekiti
Died2007 (2008)
CitizenshipNigeria
OccupationTeacher

Christianah Oluwatoyin Oluwasesin (first name also given as Christiana, last name also as Oluwaseesin, Oluseesin or Olusesan), (Ekiti State, 1977 – Gandu, Gombe State, 21 March 2007), was a female Christian Nigerian teacher who was lynched by Yan Kalare boys for allegedly desecrating and mutilating the Qur'an at a secondary school in Gandu, Gombe State, Nigeria, on 21 March 2007.[1][2]

Oluwasesin, a mother of two,[1] was assigned to supervise an Islamic religious knowledge exam. When one of the students wanted to enter the exam hall with his books, Oluwasesin collected them and threw them outside.[3] The students claimed that one of the books was a copy of the Qur'an.[4] This caught the attention of the popular thugs (Yan Kalare), who stabbed her to death, even when another teacher showed that the books in question did not include a Quran.[5]They then beat up the school principal, a Muslim, who later escaped the crowd for offering refuge to her. The mob also burned down three classroom blocks, the school clinic, the administrative block and the library. [6] [7]


Aftermath

Gombe State Governor Mohammed Danjuma Goje ordered the immediate closure of all secondary schools in the state and the deployment of soldiers and policemen to strategic points in the state, especially churches.[8] It was variously reported that between three and sixteen people were arrested in connection with the murder. [9]. It was also reported that the sixteen young people ultimately arrested for the murder were all eventually released without penalty, and the case dismissed[10]. This is similar to other cases in northern Nigeria were mobs have attacked victims for alleged infractions against Islam and escaped prosecution.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b Obogo, Linus (2 June 2007). "Daddy, where is mummy?". Daily Sun (Lagos). The Sun Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  2. ^ Christopher S. Grenda, Chris Beneke, David Nash (2014). Profane: Sacrilegious Expression in a Multicultural Age (Book collections on Project MUSE). University of California Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-520-2772-29.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "The danger in shrieking silence". The Nation (Lagos). Vintage Press Limited. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  4. ^ "The gruesome murder of Oluwatoyin Olusesan". Nigerianewsworld. 26 March 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  5. ^ https://www.csw.org.uk/2007/06/05/press/637/article.htm
  6. ^ Haruna, Mohammed (4 April 2007). "Olusesan's murder as a failure of Muslim leadership". The Nation (Nigeria). Vintage Press Limited. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  7. ^ Nwobu, Lawrence Chinedu (28 March 2007). "The Murder of Oluwatoyin Olusesan and the failings of the Nigerian press". Nigeriaworld.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  8. ^ Adaji, Ben (9 April 2007). "Killing In Allah's Name". The News (Lagos). Independent Communications Network Limited.
  9. ^ Obasi, Sebastine (28 March 2008). "Keeping the Dream Alive". Newswatch Magazine (Lagos). Newswatch Communications Limited. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  10. ^ https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/22866/they-cut-my-wife-into-pieces-and-set-her-on-fire.html
  11. ^ https://www.cfr.org/blog/gruesome-blasphemy-killing-brings-nigerias-long-running-ethno-religious-divide-sharp-focus
  12. ^ https://www.csw.org.uk/2007/06/05/press/637/article.htm