A student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Miss Deborah Samuel Yakubu, on Thursday was lynched and burnt to death by fellow angry mates for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad.
The victim, a 200-level student of the Department of Home Economics of the college was said to have had a heated argument on the department’s Whatsapp group with her mates before the incident.
The deceased during the group chat was accused of speaking rudely to Prophet Muhammad argument drew and the situation later degenerated the lady being stoned and set her ablazed.
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Police Command said it had arrested two students suspected to be involved in the killing of the female student, who allegedly spoke blasphemy against the prophet.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the command, Sanusi Abubakar, in a statement, said two suspects had been arrested and others identified in the viral video would be fished out.
According to him, the state police command received a distress call from Shehu Shagari College of Education in the morning hours of Thursday that students were rioting.
Speaking further, he said the riot was as a result of female student, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a 200-level student, accused of making a social media post that blasphemed the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW).
He 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 Deputy Ccommissioner (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, Kamaldeen Okunlola, is appealing to members of the public to go about their lawful activities and should not panic as the situation is under control.
“The suspects in the viral video on Twitter were spotted and will be nailed soon.”
Also, the Sokoto State government through the Commissioner of Information, Isa Bajini Galadanchi, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, have condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate.
Addressing a press conference at the Government House in Sokoto, Galadanchi said Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal had directed that investigation into the matter should commence immediately.
He said: “We just woke up this morning to hear this unfortunate news. The governor had directed the Ministry of Higher Education and related agencies to commence immediate investigation.
Advising members of the public to remain calm, he assured that the state government would do everything to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.
He said the governor had directed that the college be shut immediately to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
The Sultan of Sokoto said no one has the right to take the law into his or her hand, condoling the family of the deceased and assuring them of justice.
The Sultan, who spoke on a state radio, assured the family that the security men would be allowed to investigate the incident to bring the culprits to book.
