The tragic murder of Cordelia Ego Ejiofor in 1972 by her employer, Alhaji Rauph Gaji, shocked Nigeria. Gaji, a senior lawyer, brutally killed her and disposed of her body along Kachia Road. Despite his eventual conviction for manslaughter, this case highlights a disturbing trend in Nigeria’s history of violent killings that have gone unpunished in recent decades. Fast forward to 2022, the country is still grappling with mob killings, with the gruesome death of 22-year-old Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto reigniting national outrage over unchecked violence and impunity.
Deborah, a student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, was lynched by her peers in broad daylight for alleged blasphemy. Her case, like others before it, bears unsettling similarities to previous tragedies, including the mob murder of 74-year-old Bridget Agbahime in Kano in 2016 and the killing of Eunice Elisha, a pastor, in Abuja for her Christian preaching. In each case, the perpetrators were emboldened by the lack of accountability.
The Nigerian justice system has consistently failed to bring killers in such cases to justice. While the courts acted decisively in the 1972 case of Cordelia, modern lynching incidents rarely see proper investigations, and convictions are even rarer. Deborah’s death, occurring in a country with a long history of religious tensions and extrajudicial killings, serves as a chilling reminder of the country’s struggle to protect its citizens from mob violence.
Deborah Yakubu’s killing was made more disturbing by the organized nature of the attack. After an online altercation, Deborah was hunted down by her peers, stoned to death, and burned in front of her college. The police claimed that efforts to prevent the attack were thwarted by a mob blocking access to the scene, which suggested premeditation. Public outcry followed, but the outcome remains uncertain, mirroring the outcomes of similar cases where justice was never fully served.
The case of Deborah Yakubu, like that of Cordelia, stands as a tragic emblem of a justice system that often bends under the weight of religious, social, or political pressures. Historical precedents, such as the 1995 beheading of Gideon Akaluka in Kano on blasphemy allegations, show that mob violence and extrajudicial killings have deep roots in Nigeria’s sociopolitical landscape. Despite promises from political and religious leaders, including President Buhari and the Sultan of Sokoto, justice has been elusive for victims of religiously motivated violence.
In both Cordelia’s and Deborah’s cases, the victims were women, brutally murdered in situations where the justice system struggled to act. The recurring issue of mob violence in Nigeria stems from a combination of religious extremism, social pressure, and a legal system that frequently fails to punish those responsible. In the 1972 case, a conviction was secured, but the current legal climate shows a disturbing trend of impunity for mob violence.
In conclusion, Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with mob justice and extrajudicial killings, especially in cases of alleged blasphemy, continues to erode faith in the rule of law. The cases of Cordelia and Deborah highlight the urgent need for systemic reform to ensure that the country’s justice system can protect the vulnerable and bring perpetrators of such brutal crimes to account. Without significant legal and social reform, the cycle of violence and impunity is likely to continue, further weakening Nigeria’s commitment to human rights and justice for all.
