Deborah Samuel: What Northern Governors Said About Protest In Sokoto

The Northern Governors Forum has condemned the violent protest that erupted in Sokoto State over the arrest of two suspected killers of Deborah Samuel.

Ezenwoko’s Blog had reported earlier that Deborah was lynched and set ablaze by her Muslim colleagues for allegedly insulting Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.

The angry mob stormed Deborah’s hostel and dragged her out before beating her to death and setting her body ablaze.

The Sokoto State Police Command later announced that it had arrested two suspects, with investigations going on to arrest more killers.

A leaflet circulated on Saturday, written in Hausa, inviting Muslims to come out en mass to protest against the arrest of the suspected killers of Deborah.

Hours later, the violent protest led to the attack on the house of the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathe Hassan Kukah in the state.

In a statement on Sunday, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, said the forum is worried about the happenings in Sokoto.

The forum called for calm following the killing of the female student, saying that any attempt to adopt self-help in addressing grievances could lead to further chaos.

It also stressed the need for people from the northern part of the country and Nigerians to show love, tolerance and respect for one another irrespective of faith, ethnicity or other affiliations.

The forum commiserated with the family of the victim and appealed that security agencies be allowed to thoroughly investigate the matter.

It also commiserated with the Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, over the incident while commending the proactive measures he adopted to restore normalcy.

The governors assured him of their solidarity and prayers in dealing with the matter, noting that they would ensure the adoption of necessary measures to forestall recurrence in any part of the region and nation at large.