The Kaduna State Government has strongly condemned the criminal attack on Citizen Francis Emmanuel, who was assaulted in Kakuri, a suburb in Kaduna.

Reports said that Francis Emmanuel, a Christian man, narrowly escaped death “when a gang of six youths, believed to be Muslims, armed with daggers stabbed him severally at a restaurant,” His attackers allegedly accused him of not joining in the Ramadan fast currently being observed by Muslims in Nigeria and beyond.

The State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday led a team of senior government officials, including the Deputy Governor, Architect Barnabas Yusuf Bala, to visit Francis, who is recuperating at the St. Gerald’s Hospital, Kakuri.

The government has directed the police to arrest the perpetrators of the attack, which occurred on Tuesday.

Governor El-Rufai warned that there won’t be any room for religious violence and criminality in the state.

The Governor comforted the victim and promised that the government will not allow any criminal to hide under any religious guise or to use religion as justification for violating the rights of any citizen.

His words: “The government will not allow anyone to get away with any crime using his or her faith as an excuse. There is no compulsion in religion. It is a free country, and that means no imposition of faith or religious practices on anyone.

“We sympathise with our fellow citizen, Francis Emmanuel. We have assured him that we will not allow anybody to violate his right, or that of any other citizen.

“The Kaduna State Government is resolute in its stand that all criminals, including those who try to hide under Christianity or Islam, will be tackled and prosecuted.

“We have been given faith to live our lives in obedience to the Almighty, and to let that obedience manifest in our kindness to others, the honesty of our conduct and the consistency of our hard work. Care and compassion for others is one of the noblest ways of demonstrating love for God.

“We implore everyone to do their duty to uphold peace and security in Kaduna State. We should not allow differences in faith to be a barrier to harmony or a cause for conflict. Nobody can impose the tenet of his faith on another person. The decision to observe any religious activity is the prerogative of the individual.

“Let us all remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the security agencies.”

•Photo shows Governor El-Rufai.