• Tambuwal closes institution
• Police arrests two suspects
• Adegboruwa urges NBA-SPIDEL to move conference from Sokoto State
By Paul Michael, Defence Editor, Abuja
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, have condemned the gruesome murder of a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE) in Sokoto State, by angry mobs over alleged blasphemy.
Deborah Yakubu, who was a 200-level Home Economics student, was mauled, killed, and burnt on Thursday by a Muslim mob who accused her of blasphemy on social media against Prophet Muhammad. Video showing how the student was stoned, beaten with sticks, and subsequently set ablaze was circulated on social media.
Reacting to the unfortunate incident, the Sultan in a statement by the Sultanate Council, condemned the actions of the mob and called on security agencies to immediately bring the murderers to book.
“The Sultanate Council has learned with dismay the unfortunate happenings at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, (SSCOE) Sokoto that led to the loss of life of 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
“The Sultanate Council has urged all to remain calm and ensure peaceful co-existence among all people of the state and nation,” the statement said.
On his part, Kukah in a statement described the actions of the mob as criminal and tasked authorities at all levels to fish out the perpetrators and ensure justice is served on the matter.
In a statement titled ‘Murder of Ms Deborah Yakubu’ on Thursday, the revered cleric said the perpetrators no matter their motive must be punished.
“We condemn this incident in the strongest terms and call on the authorities to investigate this tragedy and ensure that all the culprits are brought to book.
“The only obligation that is owed her immediate family, her fellow students, and the school authorities 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 has nothing to do with religion. Christians have lived peacefully with their Muslim brothers here in Sokoto over the years.
“This matter must be treated as a criminal act and the law must take its cause,” the statement said partly.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Thursday announced the immediate closure of the Institution while directing the Ministry of Education in the State and the Police to immediately investigate the cause of the incident.
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This was contained in a statement signed by the State’s Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Isah Bajini Galadanci.
The statement reads, “It has come to the notice of the Sokoto State Government, the unfortunate incident that took place at the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE), Sokoto, in which a student of the college lost her life.
“The government has ordered the immediate closure of the college.
“Already, the State Governor, Rt. Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has directed the Ministry of Higher Education, and relevant security agencies in the state to commence investigations into the remote and immediate causes of the incident and report back to the government.”
However, the police in Sokoto said two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the student.
A statement by Sanusi Abubakar, spokesman of the Sokoto Police Command, said operatives have been deployed to the area.
“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 level two 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.
“The Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, CP Kamaldeen Kola Okunlola fdc, mnim, 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.”
Following the ugly incident, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Human Rights Activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has called for the relocation of the 2022 Annual Summit of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) scheduled to hold in Sokoto State from the 22nd to 26th of May, 2022.
According to learned silk, the murder of the female student is barbaric and lawyers must not be seen to converge on her grave.
He wrote, “I humbly urge NBA-SPIDEL not to hold any meeting or conference in the State where a Nigerian citizen has been brutally murdered and burnt to death.
“It is barbaric and lawyers should not be seen to be dancing on her grave in that State.
“We should make a statement to the government by cancelling the Conference and hold it in a neighbouring State in the North.”
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