Human rights lawyer, Ebun Olu Adegboruwa SAN has called on the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest Development Law(NBA-SPIDEL) to halt arrangement on the section’s annual conference scheduled to hold between May 22 and May 26 in Sokoto, on account of the murder of a female Student, Deborah Samuel at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto over accusations of blasphemy.
According to police reports, a distress call was received from Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, stating that students were rioting over one female student named Deborah Samuel, a level two student, who was accused of making a social media post that blasphemed the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Students forcefully removed the victim from the security room where she was hidden by the school authorities, killed her and burnt the building.
The police further claimed that “Operatives of the Sokoto State Police Command have arrested two students and are after other miscreants who killed and burned a female student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto”. This is according to the spokesperson of the command, Sanusi Abubakar, who also said in the statement that police have restored security to the area.
But Adegboruwa believes that the NBA cannot afford to hold the conference in Sokoto after such a barbaric act. “I humbly urge NBA-SPIDEL not to hold any meeting or conference in the State where a Nigerian citizen has been brutally murdered and burnt to death. It is barbaric and lawyers should not be seen dancing on her grave in that State. We should make a statement to the government by canceling the Conference and hold it in a neighboring State in the North”, he said.
But Sokoto State Police Commissioner, Kamaldeen Kola Okunlola has called on the populace to go about their lawful duties, saying the situation has been brought under control., and two suspects arrested over the murder.
“Upon receiving the information, the DC 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 Kola Okunlola is appealing to members of the public to go about their lawful activities and should not panic as the situation is under control. Meanwhile, the suspects in the viral video on Twitter were spotted and will be nailed soon”.
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