Umar Maman Sanda, the police commissioner, Bauchi State Command, Saturday, said Rhoda Jatau, a woman accused of blasphemy in the state, has been remanded in prison by a court.
Sanda disclosed this earlier today in an interview with Punch, one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria.
A few weeks ago, Jatau escaped lynching by irate youths in Warji local council in Bauchi State following a blasphemous statement she uttered against the revered Prophet Muhammad.
READ: Two Sustain Gunshots Wounds In Bauchi LG Over Alleged Blasphemy
WikkiTimes reported that Jatau blasphemed the prophet in a message she posted on a WhatsApp group housing people of diverse religions including Islam.
The aftermath of the incident led to the arson of six houses among other valuables in the local council.
“You see, once this type of thing comes up, you’ll have to be very careful and make sure that you do the needful as and when due,” Sanda said. “What happened was that a woman posted an article on a WhatsApp group that has both Christians and Muslims and before you knew it, tension mounted and there was a breakdown of law and order.”
He added: “She was arrested and immediately moved from Warji to Bauchi, to save her from the mob. We then went round to quell the disturbance and we thank God that we were able to arrest the situation and got the understanding of the people that what we did was the best in the circumstances.
READ: Blasphemy: Police Order Investigation Into Bauchi Crisis
“But before we were able to bring the situation under control, some houses and shops were torched and that’s the repercussions of this type of thing. On a general note, an investigation has already been conducted; we’ve charged her to court, and she is now in the Correctional Service facility, awaiting trial.”
Despite the destruction in the state, the police boss disclosed that no other culprit was arrested apart from the accused lady.
“Well, our investigation did not indicate that some people were behind her; she did it by herself and there are no co-conspirators around her and therefore, we charged only her to court,” Sanda said.
