ICC Note: According to an anonymous witness, the Christian student that was attacked on August 22 at Abdu Gusau Polytechnic in the Zamfara state was falsely accused of blaspheming the Islamic prophet Muhammad and therefore, was wrongfully attacked.  When a Muslim mob found out that the student made it to the hospital, they went looking for him to try to kill him, but were unsuccessful in their search. Consequently, they went to look for the another eight Christian students and burned them alive in their home. Many Muslims in the area target Christians and believe that anyone that converts from Islam to another religion must be killed for becoming an infidel. However, Christians continue to be the main persecuted minority in northwest Nigeria with little to no protection in a society under Islamic Sharia law.

9/01/2016, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Contrary to the state government version of an attack in northwestern Nigeria last week, a Christian at the school where Muslim students killed eight people said all the victims were Christians.

The Christian student told Morning Star News by phone that the Christian student at Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, in Talata Mafara, Zamfara state, who was said to have triggered the Aug. 22 attack by blaspheming the prophet of Islam, was falsely accused.

“The claim that our colleague blasphemed Muhammad is not true,” he said of the convert who was badly beaten and left for dead. “He has been the target of Muslims here, as they believe that anyone who leaves Islam must be killed.”

The source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said he could not reveal the name of the assaulted student in order to protect him from further violence.
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