Police react, as court frees, acquits suspected killers of Deborah Yakubu

Following confirmation that the two suspects apprehended in the mob killing of a 200-level female student of Economics at the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOED), Miss Deborah Samuel Yakubu, in May, 2022, the police have reacted with a call to the newly-deployed Commissioner in the state to take further action.

Miss Deborah Yakubu’s suspected killers identified as; Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, who have been prison custody following arrest by the state police command, were secretly freed by a Sokoto Chief Magistrate Court I Gutwa, in January, this year, on the grounds that prosecuting police officers refused to show up for the case.

The suspects were subsequently freed and acquitted in January, this year after about six months of trial.

Initially, the report of the suspects regaining freedom was denied by the police until, this week, when the judgement sheet was released confirming the court ruling.

In August, 2022, the State Governor, Amunu Tambuwal received the report of a special committee he constituted to investigate the mob killing of the female student, and subsequent shutting down of the academic institution, assuring that the matter would be looked into.

He also directed the Governing Council of the SSCOE to convene a meeting with a view to reopening the college soonest.

The Governor also assured the people of the state that the government will implement the recommendations of the committee, reiterating his belief that doing so will prevent future reoccurrence not only in the affected college but in all tertiary institutions in the state.

However, four months after, suspected killers of Miss Deborah walk free.

Reacting to the reports of the court freeing the slain female student, Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Friday morning, while responding a question on the veracity of the claim, replied with: “On deborah, I only updated Nigerians based on the brief I got from Sokoto command.

“However, I have called the attention of the new CP Sokoto to the new development on the case for further action.

“I have also directed the PPRO Sokoto to regularly update Nigerians on the case. Thanks.”

In May, 2022, Deborah was accused of blasphemy by a section of his course mates during an interaction on the group’s WhatApp platform, where the deceased was reported to have made a remark while complaining about the content of what was distributed on the group chat through a voice note.

Deborah, a 200-level student of the institution was beaten to death and her corpse burnt by a mob comprising fellow students and locals of the town, for allegedly making an alleged  blasphemous statement on a WhatsApp group of her classmates.

“Send us important information. This group was not created for you to send useless information. It was created for you to send past questions if there is a test or an assignment. It is not for you to send useless information. Which prophet?” the deceased was quoted to have stated this in a voice note she shared to the WhatsApp group.

The student was dragged out by some residents of the town and lynched in an action that led to the shutting down of the school following the police arrest of two suspects connected with the mob action which led to riots and curfew being imposed by the state government.

The killing of Deborah by a mob within the school’s premises led to the shutdown of the institution and declaration of curfew in parts of the state as protesters went on rampage over the arrest of two suspected culprits in the mob killing.

Riots broke out in parts of Sokoto, as irate Muslim youths targeted churches and other properties belonging the Catholic and ECWA churches in the state, as they demanded the release of the two arrested persons said to have played a role in the beating to death and subsequent lynching of the 200-level, Economics student of the institution over alleged blasphemy.

Several properties belonging to the Catholic Church in the state suffered damages, as the rioters further marched to the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad demanding release of the suspects.

The Sokoto Sultanate Council had condemned the killing of a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto State, following outrage by Nigerians over the incident.

The Sultanate Council in a statement issued by its secretary, Sa’idu Mohammadu Maccido, called on security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

The council called on members of the public to remain calm and live peacefully with one another.

“The Sultanate Council has learnt with dismay the unfortunate happening at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, SSCOE Sokoto that led to the loss of life of a female student of the institution.

“The Sultanate Council condemns the incident in its totality and has urged the security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the unjustifiable incident to justice.

“The Sultanate Council has urged all to remain calm and ensure peaceful co-existence among all people of the state and nation.”

Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Alh. Isah Bajini Galadanci, announced the immediate shutdown of the institution

Catholic Archbishop of Lagos condemns mob killing of Sokoto student, demands punishment for perpetrators

Reacting to the incident and its fallout, in the state, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins condemned in very strong terms the killing of Miss Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State by a mob, he described as ‘overzealous students’, over alleged blasphemy.

Rev Martins who condemned the incident, charged the law enforcement agencies to quickly swing into action to investigate the matter to identify the culprits and bring them to justice according to the Nigerian criminal law.

Archbishop Martins said that the alleged killing of Miss Yakubu, ‘is appalling, provocative, and inhuman.’

According to the Archbishop, ‘such acts, if not checked forthwith are capable of further exacerbating religious tension, thereby causing disaffection amongst the peace-loving people of Nigeria.’

“No one has a right to arbitrarily shed human blood. It is not in our constitution; it is not in our customs or tradition. Such an act is archaic and reprehensible and should be expunged totally from our DNA. All those found culpable in this killing must be made to face the consequences and we must all ensure that justice is seen to be done,” said Archbishop Martins.

The Archbishop also called on all Nigerians to be calm and to shun all acts of violence ‘as we all await the action of the Security Agents in dealing with this heinous act of criminality irrespective of the motive behind it.’

Riots broke out in parts of Sokoto as Muslim youth protesting the arrest by police of some alleged perpetrators of the mob killing forced Governor Aminu Tambuwal to declare a 24-hour curfew in the state to restore peace.

The rioters caused massive damage on selected worship centres belonging to both the Catholic and ECWA churches. Also, the St Bahkita, which serves as the secretariat of the Sokoto Catholic diocese, was set alight by the hoodlums.

State Governor Aminu Tambuwal had imposed a curfew over Sokoto to curb further spread of violence amid a mob rampage for the release of Deborah Samuel’s murder suspects.

The governor said the directive was issued “in pursuance of peace and order in Sokoto metropolis and the entire state.”

Remains of the slain Miss Deborah have since been laid to rest at her hometown in Tungan Magajiya in Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State.

The deceased, it was gathered, had been living with family members in Sokoto since she was in primary school before her death.

It was also learnt that while the body of Deborah was being transported home for burial, an official of the Sokoto State Government allegedly called that the body be returned back as it belongs to the government.

The government had asked the family to deposit the deceased in the mortuary until burial arrangements are concluded.

However, the parents disagreed with the government’s position, while insisting that their daughter’s body would be buried today.

Meanwhile, Islamic clerics disagreed on the mob killing of Deborah over alleged blasphemy.

Chief Imam of the Muslims Foundation Mosque and the Zamfara State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Sani Tukur Jangebe, disagreed with the position of Imam of Abuja’s National Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Maqari.

Sheikh Sani Tukur Jangebe while delivering his Friday sermon in Gusau, noted that even the Prophet Mohammed (SAW) was insulted and humiliated during his lifetime, yet he did not order the assassination of his foes.

Sheikh Sani Tukur Jangebe’s position sharply contrasts with that earlier declared by the Deputy Chief Imam of Abuja’s National Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Maqari, who, backed the mob killing of Miss Deborah, insisting that Muslims should not be blamed for harming those who insulted the Prophet.

“It should be known to everyone that we the Muslims have some redlines beyond which MUST NOT be crossed. The dignity of the Prophet (PBUH) is at the forefront of the redlines.

“If our grievances are not properly addressed, then we should not be criticized for addressing them ourselves,” Professor Ibrahim Maqari had posted on his Twitter account in reaction to the killing of the Sokoto school student.

Also, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) then appealed to all those involved in the demonstration in Sokoto state to “calm down and allow peace to reign”.

MURIC’s advice was contained in a terse, three-paragraph statement issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Saturday afternoon, in reaction to the riots in parts of Sokoto State over the arrest by police of suspected perpetrators of the mob killing of a female student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOED), Thursday.

“As the seat of the caliphate, we must always ensure that Sokoto State is peaceful. The state must be allowed to develop both spiritually and economically.

“We therefore appeal to all demonstrators to disperse. We must allow our hardworking governor to serve us in peace. Please go home peacefully and return to your lawful duties.

“The Ummah as a whole from Yenagoa to Kaura Namoda and from Lagos to Jigawa has tons of love and immeasurable respect for Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar. We demand same from the Muslim youths in Sokoto State. We therefore urge the youths to leave the streets and return peacefully to their homes as their grievances are being addressed by our amiable governor.”

Judgement sheet as delivered by the Chief Magistrate Shuaibu Ahmad, Esq, of the Chief Magistrate Court I Gutwa, Sokoto, in January 30, 2023

“On the 20/10/2022 this case started denovo due to the transfer and change of the former Chief Magistrate Fatima Hassan. And when the F.I.R was re-read and re-explained to each of the defendants. Each of the defendants denied the contents of the F.I.R as untrue. The prosecution then told and informed this court that the investigations into the case have been completed and they are ready for the hearing of the case. The case was adjourned to 3/11/2022 for hearing.

“On the 3/11/2022 the case came up for hearing. The defendants were present and the prosecution was also present. The prosecution applied for the case to be adjourned to another date because they were not able to serve their witnesses in this case. Without any objection from the Defense Counsel the matter was adjourned to 10/11/2022 for hearing. On the 28/11/2022 the case came up for hearing. The defendants were present in the court. But due to the absence of the prosecution, the case was adjourned to 8/12/2022 for hearing.

“On the 8/12/2022, the prosecution was also not in court for the hearing of this case. So the case was adjourned to 29/12/2022 for hearing. On the 29/12/2022 the defendants were present in court. But due to the absence of the prosecution the case could not go on. Learned Counsel to the defendants Mr. M.B Abdallah, Esq applied for the case to be struck out under S.350(1) of ACJL of Sokoto State 2019 due to the absence of the prosecution. But the court refused the application and adjourned this case to today 30/1/2023 for hearing at the instance of the prosecution.

“Today, 30/1/2023, the defendants and their counsel are present in court. But the prosecution is absent, he is absent without any genuine reason. Due to the absence of the prosecution, Learned Counsel to the defendants applied that this case be struck out.

“From the conduct of the prosecution in this case, it seems to be very clear to this court that the prosecutions have no any evidence against the defendants. And any/or are no longer interested in seriously prosecuting this case.

“In the light of the above, it would be unjust to further adjourn this case at the instance of the prosecution when they have been given several adjournments to call their witnesses but could not call any. In the interest of justice and in accordance with the law, I hereby grant the application of the Learned Counsel to defendants to strike out this case for lack of evidence and lack of diligent prosecution.”