Protesters came to the streets to demand the release of the accused in Deborah’s gruesome murder over an alleged blasphemous utterance.
On Saturday, there was palpable tension in certain sections of Sokoto State as irate locals took to the streets to protest the arrest of suspects in the death of Deborah Samuel over an alleged blasphemy charge.
Deborah, a 200-level student at Sheri Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, was brutally murdered by her classmates after they accused her of disrespecting the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH).
Protesters held signs with messages such as “Release our Muslim Brothers,” “Muslims Are Not Terrorists,” and others, according to the Daily Trust.
In preparation for the demonstrations, security personnel were stationed in key locations across the region, including the Sultan of Sokoto’s Palace, to prevent a breakdown in the calm.
The demonstration comes only hours after the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, met with religious leaders to try to calm the situation.
It all began when the dead student sent a voice message to the school WhatsApp group, warning his classmates to avoid overloading the platform with religious postings.
Deborah, a Christian from Kebbi state, was later accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad by her classmates, who attacked her on the school grounds.
“The college security personnel had to intervene by whisking her to their office, but they were overwhelmed by students, who later killed her and set her body ablaze,” a source told the newspaper.
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