Nigeria’s Best Chemistry Student Burnt His Books After French President Condemned Islam

Usman Umar Dagona is Nigeria’s ‘best’ chemistry student. He had emerged first position in the 2019/2020 Imagine National Chemistry competition, beating over 1,749 graduates from the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and other top Nigerian universities.

The win earned Dagona the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the 2020/2021 Imagine Chemistry International Akzo Competition, where he won N152 million ($400,000) after emerging second.

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, congratulated him for the feat on Monday. Atiku said, “Mr Dagon is another proof that Nigerian youth are an invaluable resource with capacity to excel in various spheres of human endeavours.”

Prior to winning the award, Dagona had shared photos of himself on Facebook, burning “all” his text books that were written by French authors.

The indigene of Gashua in Bade Local Government Area, Yobe State, appeared to have burnt the text books to protest remarks allegedly made against Islam by French President, Emmanuel Macron.

Aside messages saying the world can do without French Chemistry scholars, he shared pictures that showed him burning his Chemistry text books on October 30, 2020.

Dagona wrote, “We Can Live Without France…Earlier Today, I have burnt my books for (sic) some famous French Chemistry Scholars” adding, “Allahumma A’Izzal Islam Wal Muslimun.”

He listed the titles of the books to include: Organic Chemistry by Giovanni Bottari, Prebiotic Chemistry by Majda Bratovič, Soft Matter and Organic Functional Materials by Johannes Kreutzer.”

THE WHISTLER’s checks on Dagona’s social media pages showed that he holds NCE in Chemistry and Geography from the Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua.

Dagona’s action came after French President, Macron, made a remark against “radical Islam”, which later sparked condemnation from the Muslim community in the Middle East.

Macron, on October 2, delivered a speech in Les Mureaux, where he revealed his plan to tackle “Islamist separatism” in France.

But the French president was attacked by leaders of some Muslim nations, who accused him of using freedom of speech as an excuse to “insult” Islam and Muslims.

Guardian UK quoted Macron to have said that, “Islam is a religion which is experiencing a crisis today, all over the world,” adding that France would come up with new measures to “defend the republic and its values and ensure it respects its promises of equality and emancipation”.

He had said that, “Our challenge is to fight against those who go off the rails in the name of religion … while protecting those who believe in Islam and are full citizens of the republic.”

The French President was said to have identified the measures to include placing mosques under greater control and requiring that imams are trained and certified in France, thereby liberating muslims in the country from “foreign influences” in terms funding and other areas.