Ekeomah Atuonwu
According to two witnesses, Deborah Samuel, a female student of Nigeria’s Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was beaten and set on fire by fellow students who accused her of making “blasphemous” words in a WhatsApp group.
Following the attack, the school in Sokoto, Nigeria’s northern state, was immediately closed.
According to the witness, “She composed an audio in Hausa that contains blasphemous comments on the prophet of Islam and posted in the group. That is what triggered everything.”
Translation of the audio reads: “Holy Ghost fire, nothing will happen to us. the group is not created for sending nonsense things. It is created to send past questions, if there is test, or if we are given assignments not all these nonsense things. Which kind prophet, nonsense prophet.”
Deborah, a level two student, was accused of producing a social media post that blasphemed the holy prophet Muhammad, according to the police (SAW).
According to the police, the students dragged the victim from the security room where she had been hidden by school officials, killed her, and set fire to the building.
Men stoning and whipping a motionless body clothed in red clothes are seen in videos on social media.
A roaring fire was also seen on camera, with a man claiming to have killed and burned her while brandishing a matchbox.
The police have arrested two people in connection with the death, according to a statement signed by spokesperson Sanusi Abubakar.
The police mobilised to scene of the incident upon receiving the information led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operation and other commanders to bring the situation under control.
According to Mr. Abubakar, the school has been shut down and additional police personnel deployed to the premises.
He also noted that the Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, Kamaldeen Kola Okunlola, has appealed to members of the public to go about their lawful activities and not panic as the situation is under control.
The police also vowed that the suspects in the viral video on Twitter were spotted and will be nailed soon.
Killing over blasphemy has been a recurring crisis across northern Nigeria for years, but authorities have not been able to address the situation. Culprits are usually not arrested, or released shortly after being taken into custody in the predominantly Muslim region.
