Muslim youths in Kaduna beat Igbo carpenter unconscious for eating during Ramadan

ANGRY Muslim youths in Kaduna have attacked a local carpenter for eating during the holy month of Ramadan in contravention of strict Islamic injunctions causing him serious injuries that have left him battling for his life.

 

Coming less than two weeks after a mob killed an Igbo woman in Kano for alleged blasphemy, the 41- year old carpenter Francis Emmanuel, was set upon by a gang of Muslim hoodlums. Yesterday, Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai paid him a visit at St Gerard Catholic Hospital in Kaduna, with a directive that police must fish out the perpetrators for prosecution.

 

Apparently, the attack took place at about 2.30pm on Tuesday when Mr Emmanuel was eating in his workshop and the youths suddenly appeared from nowhere. They then attacked him with a variety of weapons including knives, cutlasses, scissors and clubs, beating him black and blue.

 

Mr Emmanuel said: “It happened around 2.30pm at Sokoto Road, Kakuri, on Tuesday when I went to the market to buy wood to do some work. When I came back, I bought food to eat and as I was eating, about six Hausa boys came to ask me if I am a Muslim or a Christian but I did not answer them, so they asked why I was not fasting, then, I told them that I am not a Muslim.

 

Before I knew it, one of them slapped me and as I stood up, the rest came and surrounded me and started attacking me with knives. Nobody could come to my aid because of the type of knives the boys were carrying."

 

He added that they used cutlasses scissors and knives and he became unconscious. According to Mr Emmanuel, he did not even know who brought him to the hospital as he only realised where he was when he regained consciousness.