Though it took days to come, the Northern Governors’ Forum has condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, on allegations of blasphemy.
While calling for calm, the chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, in a statement, yesterday, expressed the governor’s concern about the development, which was clearly an extrajudicial measure of addressing perceived infractions.
Deborah, a second-year student of Home Economics, was killed on Thursday following an allegation that she had blasphemed the Prophet of Islam. The victim was stoned to death and her body burnt by a mob of Muslim students after she made a post they deemed insulted Prophet Muhammad.
Her body was buried on Saturday evening in her hometown, Tungar Magajiya, Rijau Council of Niger State. Her death has sparked outrage from various individuals and groups across the country, including the Christian community, who demanded that her killers be brought to justice.
Lalong frowned at the adoption of self-help in addressing grievances, whether religious or otherwise, which he observed could only lead to further chaos that could threaten law and order as well as the general peace and security of the society.
The NGF, while commiserating with the family of the victim, urged security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that the law takes its full course on anyone found wanting or culpable in the circumstance.
In the aftermath of the 24-hour curfew imposed on Sokoto metropolis on Saturday, normalcy yesterday gradually returned to the city ravaged by violent protests at the weekend.
The curfew, announced in a statewide broadcast by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, was to stem the violent protest sparked by a procession along major streets, demanding the release of the two suspects Sokoto Police Command claimed are in their custody, with regards to the gruesome killing.
The Guardian correspondent who drove round the metropolis observed deserted roads by motorists in compliance with the curfew while shops and business premises were under lock. Security personnel were seen at major roundabouts within the metropolis.
