SOKOTO — The police in Sokoto have said two suspects have been taken into custody in connection with the lynching of Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education.
The spokesperson of the Sokoto police, Sanusi Abubakar, made this disclosure in a statement Thursday evening.
The West African Pilot News had reported how a Christian female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, identified as Deborah Samuel, was killed and her body set ablaze in a mob attack by fellow colleagues over alleged blasphemy in the early hours of Thursday.
Following this, the school management closed the school indefinitely and directed all students to vacate the campus with immediate effect.
Speaking on the development, Abubakar said that the mob overpowered campus security before killing the female student and setting her remains on fire, adding that the security outpost was also burnt in the violent outbreak.
“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),” Abubakar, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said.
“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 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.”
