Blasphemy: Buhari Condemns Sokoto Student Killing, Demands Probe

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has condemned the lynching of Deborah Samuel which occurred in Sokoto State on Thursday.

Samuel was a Christian 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto, who was killed for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement released via the Presidency’s official Twitter account on Friday, the President decried the mob action and ordered a probe into the incident.

The press release read in part, “President @MBuhari strongly condemns the resort to self-help by the mob in Sokoto, resulting in violence, destruction and killing of a second year student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel, following an allegation that she had blasphemed Muhammad (SAW), the Prophet of Islam on Thursday.

“President Buhari said the news of the killing of the young lady by fellow students was a matter of concern and demanded an impartial, extensive probe into all that happened before and during the incident.”

In his own words, “No person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country. Violence has and never will solve any problem.”

He also directed the Ministries of Information and Culture, Police Affairs, Communications and Digital Economy to collaborate with GSM providers and Tech companies in order to contain the spread of false and inflammatory information through social media.

The statement noted, “The President extended the nation’s condolences to the family of the deceased student, and wished all those injured a quick recovery.

“He commended the immediate response to the incident by the Sokoto State Government, and urged religious and community leaders to call citizens’ attention to the need to exercise the right to freedom of speech responsibly.

“President Buhari called for tempered comments by the media and calm among the general population while investigation is ongoing to find out the remote and immediate causes of the incident.”

As earlier reported by The PUNCH, Deborah, a 200 Level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was beaten and burnt to death by colleagues on Thursday.

The deceased was accused of blasphemy by her classmates, and all attempts to protect her by the school security proved futile.

Later on Thursday, the Sokoto State Police Command announced that it had arrested two suspects connected to the incident.