Alleged blasphemy: Police arrest two over murder of student in Sokoto

By Damilola Ajibola

The Sokoto State Police Command said it has arrested two persons in connection with the gruesome murder of a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel, on Thursday.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, said the Command received a distress call from the institution that a 200- level female student was accused of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

The PPRO said some students forcefully broke into the security unit of the school where the lady was kept by the school authorities, killed her and burnt the building.

Abubakar said, “At about 0900hrs, a distress call was received from the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, stating that students were rioting over one female student named Deborah Samuel, a 200 level student, who was accused of making a social media post that blasphemed the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW).

“Students forcefully removed the victim from the security room where she was hidden by the school authorities, killed her and burnt the building.

” The students banded together with miscreants and barricaded the Sokoto/Jega road.

“Upon receiving the information, the DC Operations led a team of policemen and all other operational commanders in the state to the school, where the road was cleared and the situation was brought under control.

“Two students were arrested in connection with the crime committed. The school has been closed down by the school authority, and policemen were deployed to give tight security coverage,” 

Meanwhile, the Sultanate Council and Bishop Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Mathew Kukah, have condemned the murder of the female student.

The Sultanate Council in a statement signed by the Secretary of the Sultanate Council, Sa’idu Muhammadu Maccido, described the incident as unfortunate.

The statement reads,”Sultanate Council has learnt with dismay the unfortunate happenings at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, that led to the loss of life a female student of the institution.

“The Sultanate council condemned the incident in its totality and has urged the security agencies to bring perpetrators of the unjustifiable incident to justice.”

  While Kukah said the murder of the young woman has nothing to do with religion, calling on authorities concerned to punish those behind the act according to dictates of the law.

Kukah said, This has nothing to do with religion. Christians have lived peacefully with their Muslim neighbours here in Sokoto over the years.

“The only obligation that is owed her immediate family, her fellow students and the school authority is the assurance that those who are guilty of this inhuman act, no matter their motivation, are punished according to the extant laws of our land.

This matter must be treated as a criminal act and the law must take its cause.”