President Muhammadu Buhari and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, have condemned the lynching of Deborah Samuel 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.
Read also: Alleged blasphemy: Sokoto Sultanate, Catholic Diocese condemn killing of student
“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.”
According to him, “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.”
Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria has also condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education who was burnt by irate youths in Sokoto.
Joining many in their call for justice, the UK High Commissioner, urged the authorities to make sure legal actions are taken against those who killed Deborah.
“I condemn the murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, and urge the police and relevant authorities to ensure the perpetrators of this horrific act are made to face justice in line with the law,” Ms Laing tweeted on Friday.
The horrendous event led to a great outcry, especially on social media outlets, with many Nigerians condemning the act and asking that law enforcement agents ensure that the perpetrators do not escape from the long arm of the law.
Later on Thursday, the Sokoto State Police Command announced that it had arrested two suspects connected to the incident.
