Femicide has become a common phenomenon in Nigeria with every week witnessing the story of a woman mercilessly slaughtered. Last week, the story of how Amaye was stoned to death on a suspected blasphemy statement committed against Islam broke the internet.

Amaye was a food vendor in Minna Niger state – she hails from the Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria.

The incident occurred at Kasuwan Garba where Amaye was said to have been seen communicating with a man presumed to be her nephew. He was alleged to have asked her to marry him, which led to some exchange of words, and to her being taken to the office of District Head of the area, where it was stated that she had uttered statements against Islam and its ways. However, instead of allowing security personnels to handle the situation, the youths took matters into their own hands and stoned her to death.

She was bundled up, stoned to death before she was set ablaze. This occurred at 2:00 pm on Saturday but the killing was confirmed on Sunday due to ongoing investigation. The culprits responsible for the heinous crime were not caught as their identities remain unknown.

This is a case that could have been better solved in the Shari’ah Court (Islamic Court) without the use of Jungle Justice. Islam specifically warns against the use of violence and it especially warns against the harming of women and children. Unfortunately, women that are meant to be protected and cherished continued to be killed for baseless reasons.

This is not the first time a woman was killed because of “blasphemy”, a woman was slaughtered in Sokoto way back in 2019. Flashback to kano where a woman was killed due to disagreements with her neighbours when she requested they perform ablution in some other place.

World wide, 85,000 females have been killed in 2023 with Africa recording the largest rate of femicide by intimate partners and- or family members out of which 60%, that is 51,100 were said to be committed by intimate partners.

According to data from ….., 140 females die every day by the hands of people they love and trust; which automatically means 10 women/girls are killed every10 minutes daily.

In 2024 alone, female rights advocacy establishment, DOHS cares foundation has stated that Nigeria has recorded over 150 deaths of women/girls.

Over 88 femicide were recorded between January and June 2025, this year are women either killed by their spouses/partners or relatives and also acquaintances every 49 hours.

A 2024 report by the United Nations Women and the United Nations Office on drugs and crimes (UNODC) described as horrifying; that global estimates of intimate partner/family member femicideshas put in place the total estimate of women killed not just in Nigeria but globally by intimate partners and family relations.

The war on women is always silent, covered up and made invisible either by default or by design. But for how long?

Bilkisu Ahmed Shekarau is a Mass Communication student at Nile University