By James Ogbonna -In a chilling tale that underscores the growing threat of mob violence and religious extremism in Nigeria’s Sharia-law states, a young man from Delta State is now living in exile after a football argument in Kano spiraled into a fatwa, the murder of his brother, and a nationwide assassination plot.
Ojotomobor Ovuakponye, a Christian who was raised in the Janguza area of Kano State recently recounted his harrowing ordeal to The Factual.
It was gathered that the incident began on September 16, 2017, at a local football viewing center.
Ovuakponye stated that he was at the football center in Janguza watching an Arsenal and Chelsea match when an argument broke out over the merits of football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He was among those championing Ronaldo.
According to his account, a man identified as Ibrahim began pointing at Christians in the center, allegedly declaring that based on the order of Prophet Muhammad, they could do whatever they wished to “infidels.”
“Initially, I didn’t engage him until he came to me directly and demanded I convert to Islam or be dealt with,” Ovuakponye told the correspondent. “I lost my temper and told him I would never convert. That was his cue.”
He said Ibrahim immediately incited the other Muslim patrons, shouting that he had blasphemed Islam and the Prophet, and declaring that Kano State’s Sharia Law permitted death for such an offense. A mob then descended on him, beating him severely and stomping on his eyes with boots.
He recounted that he lost consciousness and was rescued by soldiers from a nearby barracks who dispersed the mob. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The mob, however, was not deterred. They regrouped and came to the hospital demanding he be handed over to them. The hospital called on senior military officers who evacuated him to the safety of the barracks.
Sources said the attacks had only just begun as his parents later informed him that the mob, led by Ibrahim, had returned to the family home. They met his younger brother at home, dragged him out, butchered him, and set the house ablaze. His parents were forced to flee to Asaba to join him.
The group was later said to have declared a fatwa on Ovuakpoye, swearing to find him anywhere in Nigeria and kill him. His life became a nightmare of threatening calls.
This account fits a disturbing pattern of religiously motivated mob violence in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government has consistently denied the persecution of any religious groups, stating it is committed to protecting all citizens. However, survivors like Ovuakpoye and documented evidence of mob violence suggest the state is either unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from such vigilante justice, especially in states with a Sharia legal framework.
His history is a stark reminder of how a casual argument can escalate into a life-or-death hunt that forces innocent people to abandon their homes, their country, and their lives.
