BEVERLY HILLS, June 10, (THEWILL) – A 41-year-old carpenter, Mr. Francis Emmanuel has given insight into how he was attacked by some Muslim youths in Kakuri area of Kaduna state for allegedly failing to observe the ongoing Ramadan fast with them.
The attack on him, which came barely a week after 74-year-old Bridget Agbahime was murdered by a mob in Kano for alleged blasphemy, occurred around 2:30 pm last Tuesday on Sokoto Road. He was reportedly left for dead, but rescued by neighbors who rushed him to the St. Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri for treatment.
Emmanuel, who almost lost his sight from the assault, explained to reporters that he was having his lunch when the boys numbering about six pounced on him, asking why he was not fasting.
“I went to buy wood to do some work, when I came back, I bought food to eat. As I was eating, about six Hausa boys came and asked me whether I was a Muslim or a Christian. I did not answer them. They asked me: why was I not fasting with them? I told them that I am not a Muslim.”
“Before I knew it, one of them slapped me. As I stood up, the rest came and surrounded me and started attacking me with knives. I don’t know them. Nobody could come to my aid because of the type of dangerous knives they were carrying.
“They used cutlasses, scissors and knives on me until I became unconscious, I don’t even know who brought me to the hospital,” he narrated.
