Rukayya Farouk, Special Assistant on New Media to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has come under heavy criticism for a tweet she posted about blasphemy on April 29, 2020, via her official handle, @hayateey1.
“Western Education has done more harm than good to our society. That’s the reason some miscreants will commit blasphemy and some muslims will defend them,” Rukayya posted.
“Any knowledge that will make me stand against my religion, ya Allah distant it from me.”
Tweeps dug out her post after she stated that there is no such thing as mass murder of Christians in Nigeria.
Replying to post by Senator Ted Cruz, who represents the State of Texas in the United States Senate (@SenTedCruz), stating that “officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists,” Rukayya described Nigeria as peaceful and that people of different religions live peacefully.
Tweeps dug out her post after she stated that there is no such thing as mass murder of Christians in Nigeria.
Rukayya Farouk, Special Assistant on New Media to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has come under heavy criticism for a tweet she posted about blasphemy on April 29, 2020, via her official handle, @hayateey1.
“Western Education has done more harm than good to our society. That’s the reason some miscreants will commit blasphemy and some muslims will defend them,” Rukayya posted.
“Any knowledge that will make me stand against my religion, ya Allah distant it from me.”
Tweeps dug out her post after she stated that there is no such thing as mass murder of Christians in Nigeria.
Replying to post by Senator Ted Cruz, who represents the State of Texas in the United States Senate (@SenTedCruz), stating that “officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists,” Rukayya described Nigeria as peaceful and that people of different religions live peacefully.
“Your plans won’t work. Imagine lending your voice to spread falsehoods and being arrogant about it. There is no such thing as a mass murder of Christians in Nigeria. I wonder where you got your information from. Nigeria is peaceful, and we coexist regardless of tribe or religion,” she said.
“All this energy because our government spoke out against your silence, while innocent people are being brutally massacred by your so-called “Jewish babies”? You should at least have some shame, Senator. This malicious selective campaign won’t succeed. #FreePalestine.”
On December 15, 2022, Rukayya also expressed support for the death sentence handed down by a Kano court to Abduljabbar Kabara for alleged blasphemy.
“Abduljabbar Kamara’s death sentence for blasphemy for blasphemy against the noble Prophet S.A.W, is a huge achievement for the Ganduje-led administration! This is impressive and commendable,” she wrote on X.
“Allahu Akbar,” she added.
Many X users, however, have accused her of being complicit, citing her past justification of the handling of issues of “blasphemy” in the country.
An X user, @Johnson_Gbemi, wrote: “Western education is bad but you are tweeting on X which is a western platform, if this is not f00lishness, I don’t know any other word I can use.”
Another X user, @aimthamchine, wrote: “Why do you have a BSc and MBA? Why are you acquiring knowledge that is against your beliefs? Is Bsc and MBA not western education? This is why Sharia Law is for the poor people and why y’all use these tactics to make sure Northern people remain in absolute poverty without help.”
“You are an irresponsible and evil woman. You posted ur own “western” qualifications proudly on ur Bio. You have the opportunity you have bcos of education, yet here you are pushing the idea that western education is bad. Prosterity will judge you HARSHLY for this evil hypocrisy,” another X user, @ms_rahhh, wrote.
Blasphemy and Mob Violence in Nigeria
Since the return to civilian rule in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing pattern of mob violence triggered by allegations of blasphemy.
Such attacks often target individuals accused of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad. These incidents, concentrated in the northern states where Sharia law is practised alongside the secular legal system, have claimed numerous lives and exposed deep fissures in Nigeria’s religious and legal frameworks.
One of the earliest recorded cases occurred on July 14, 1999, in Randali village, Kebbi State, where a Muslim mob beheaded Abdullahi Umaru for allegedly making blasphemous remarks about the Prophet.
In November 2002, a more explosive episode unfolded when Thisday newspaper published an article suggesting that Muhammad might have approved of the Miss World pageant being held in Abuja.
The piece, written by Isioma Daniel, provoked outrage. Muslim mobs torched the newspaper’s Kaduna office and attacked churches and Christian-owned properties. The violence spread to Abuja, resulting in over 250 deaths. Daniel fled the country after a fatwa was issued calling for her death.
Another tragic incident occurred in February 2006 in Bauchi State. A Christian teacher, Florence Chukwu, confiscated a Quran from a student during an English lesson. The act was perceived as blasphemous, sparking riots that killed more than 20 Christians and destroyed churches.
More recently, in May 2022, Deborah Samuel, a student at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, was lynched and burned by fellow students after she posted a WhatsApp voice note deemed insulting to the Prophet.
Videos of the attack circulated widely, showing young men celebrating her murder. The incident drew international condemnation and reignited debates over Nigeria’s blasphemy laws and the failure of authorities to prevent mob justice.
Between 1999 and 2022, there have been several blasphemy-related mob violence.
Despite the existence of Sharia courts in many northern states, which are legally empowered to adjudicate blasphemy cases, mobs often bypass due process, acting on emotion and sectarian fervor.
There have been renewed concerns around the safety of Christians in Nigeria, with different global leaders, including senators from the U.S. and Canada, expressing worry over what they described as the unending killings of Christians.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has denied that the killings are targeted at Christians, maintaining that Muslims, Christians, and other citizens are victims of violence.