President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday condemned the resort to self-help by a mob, resulting in violence, destruction, and killing of Miss Deborah Samuel in Sokoto State.
Samuel, a second-year student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was killed on Thursday following an allegation that she had blasphemed Muhammad (SAW), the prophet of Islam.
In a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, President Buhari said the news of the killing of the young lady by fellow students was a matter of concern.
He, therefore, demanded an impartial, extensive probe into all that happened before and during the incident.
The President stated that Muslims all over the world demand respect for the holy prophets, including Isah (Alaihissalaam, Jesus Christ) and Muhammad (SAW).
He, however, explained that where transgressions occur, as alleged to be the case in this instance, the law does not allow anyone to take matters into their hands.
President Buhari stressed that religious leaders have always preached that it was not for a believer to judge the actions of another person and the constituted authority must be allowed to deal with such matters when they arise.
“No person has the right to take the law into his or her own hands in this country. Violence has and never will solve any problem,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
The President also directed the Ministries of Information and Culture, Police Affairs, as well as Communications and Digital Economy to work with telecoms service providers and tech companies to help contain the spread of false and inflammatory information through social media.
He extended the nation’s condolences to the family of the slain student and wished all those injured a quick recovery.
President Buhari commended the immediate response to the incident by the government and urged religious and community leaders to call citizens’ attention to the need to exercise the right to freedom of speech responsibly.
He called for tampered comments by the media and calm among the general population while the investigation continues to find out the remote and immediate causes of the incident.