Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari has failed to condemn the brutal murder of Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State who was killed by an Islamic mob on Thursday, 24 hours later.
This is as the government of the United Kingdom, has condemned the heinous murder of the young student.
“I condemn the murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, and urge the police and relevant authorities to ensure the perpetrators of this horrific act are made to face justice in line with the law,” said the UK high commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing in a statement.
Ms Samuel, a 200 level Home-Economics student accused of blasphemy, had complained bitterly over the influx of religious broadcast messages shared to her department’s WhatsApp page.
In a WhatsApp voice note, the deceased reminded her coursemates that the group was created solely for academic purpose, such as sharing important information regarding tests, assignments, deadlines, examinations and the likes.
“Holy ghost fire, nothing would happen to me. Is it by force you guys keep sending these religious messages in our group? Our group wasn’t created for that, but rather as a notice for when there’s a test, assignment, examinations, etc. Not these nonsense religious posts,” voiced Ms Samuel on her department’s WhatsApp group.
The voice message elicited the fury of fanatic course mates and schoolmates who found her comment unflattering to their Islamic beliefs.
Ms Deborah was mobbed at the school’s security post by angry students who hit her repeatedly with sticks and stones till she died.
This is many Nigerians continue to offer condolences and express outrage over the gruesome murder.
Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president, have refrained from condemning the religion-inspired murder or sympathising with Ms Samuel’s family.
On Thursday, Amnesty International condemned the horrific death of Ms Samuel, demanding immediate justice for the deceased