Juliana Francis
The Sokoto State Police Command yesterday announced that it has arrested two suspects in connection with the killing and burning of a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, identified as Deborah Samuel, over an alleged blasphemous statement.
Deborah, 200 Level student at the school was killed after being accused of making a social media post that blasphemed the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The police said that one of the killers, who was holding a box of matches in a viral video, had been identified and would soon be arrested.
The Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sanusi Abubakar, disclosed that the incident happened at 9:am, stressing that was at the hour the police received a distress call about the incident.
Abubakar also stated that the school had been shut down and added that two students had been arrested.
He also revealed that the victim was killed because of a post she made on her social media handle, not going around the school to state her beliefs as was initially reported on social media handles.
His words: “At about 0900hrs, a distress call was received from 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). The 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 by the school authority, and policemen were deployed to give tight security coverage. The Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, CP Kamaldeen Kola Okunlola is appealing to members of the public to go about their lawful activities and should not panic as the situation is under control. Meanwhile, the suspects in the viral video on Twitter were spotted and will be nailed soon.”
