Blasphemy: Tension in Sokoto as protesters demand release of Deborah’s alleged killers

Palpable tension gripped some parts of Sokoto State on Saturday when some angry residents flooded the streets to protest the arrest of suspects involved in the killing of Deborah Samuel over an alleged blasphemy.

Deborah, a 200-Level student of Sheri Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was gruesomely killed by her fellow students who accused her of making disparaging comment about the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH).

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as, “Release our Muslim brothers”, "Muslims Are Not Terrorists”, among others, Daily Trust reported.

In anticipation of the protests, security operatives were deployed to strategic places in the area including the Palace of Sultan of Sokoto, to forestall any breakdown of peace.

The protest comes hours after the governor of the state, Aminu Tambuwal had a meeting with religious leaders to douse the growing tension.

It all started when the deceased student posted a voice message on the school WhatsApp group cautioning his colleagues to stop spamming the platform with religious posts.

Deborah, a Christian indigene of Niger state, was later accused by her friends of abusing Prophet Muhammad and they pounced on her at the school premises.

“The college security personnel had to intervened by whisking her to their office but they were overwhelmed by students, who later killed her and set her body ablaze,” a source told the newspaper.

The issue has generated a lot of angry reactions on social as many Nigerians condemned the extra-judicial killing.