NSCIA mourns slain innocent Muslim boy, hails death sentence of Nigerian pastor

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has commended the Nigerian Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, for sentencing Nigerian pastor, Pastor Erinmole Adetokunbo, who beheaded a seven-year-old Muslim boy, Kazeem Rafiu, and used his head for rituals in a church.

NSCIA commended the judgement in a statement signed by its Deputy Secretary General, Prof. Salisu Shehu, on Wednesday August 24, 2022.

According to NSCIA, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, who delivered the judgement, also sentenced his accomplice, Adedoyin Oyekanmi, to death.

NSCIA acknowledged the development which it had been closely monitoring since the unfortunate incident sent shock waves to the country in 2017.

“We unequivocally commend the judiciary for meticulously carrying out the investigation and delivery of justice.

“Though it is well known that justice delayed is justice denied and we hope that the wheel of justice shall roll much faster in future, it is still gratifying that the prosecution was diligently carried out until judgement was served without fear or favour,” the Council said in a statement.

The Council maintained that the legal action is the best approach to seek justice. It said condemning Christianity and Christians would rather worsen the matter.

NSCIA said it was morally wrong to bite a dog because it has bitten one. “You don’t roll with pig in the mud just because it enjoys doing so.”

“The Council believes that criminals are criminals and they should be so treated without appealing to base emotions or using the crime of a minority to vilify, malign or torment the majority.

“Neither the church nor the Bible asked the evil pastor and his accomplice to do what they did, we insist, and they should be distanced from the teachings of Jesus,” it said.

It stated further that if it had chosen to be cantankerous like others, innocent Christians would have been unduly tormented, the church would have been maligned and the polity would have been overheated.

It advised religious leaders to be circumspect in their utterances and pronouncements as true people of God.

It implored them to resist the temptation of inflaming passions through the baseless allegations.