Nigeria, July 1 -- The barbaric lynching to death of a young female teacher, Islamic preacher, and mother of four, Ummulkhair Usman Aliyu, in Kaduna penultimate week, over allegations of child kidnapping should jolt the North to action, wake it from its slumber, and set the internet on fire. None of these happened. This only added impetus to the North's culture of silence and the previous perpetuation of such acts without consequences.

The phenomenon of extrajudicial killings remains a critical challenge to the rule of law across Nigeria. However, in the North, while mob actions sometimes stem from allegations of petty theft or civil disputes, the most prominent and severe cases often involve accusations of religious blasphemy.

The late...