‘Blasphemy’: Northern governors express concern over violent protest in Sokoto

The Northern Governors Forum has called for calm following the killing of Deborah Emmanuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, over alleged blasphemy.

Simon Lalong, chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau, said the forum is concerned about the state of things in Sokoto.

“The governors are concerned about the development, which is an extra-judicial measure of addressing perceived infraction,” Lalong said.

“The northern governors appeal for calm following reports of the hijack of a peaceful protest which later turned violent and led to the imposition of a curfew in Sokoto metropolis.”

The governors noted that any attempt to adopt self-help in addressing grievances — whether religious or otherwise — could lead to further chaos.

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 Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, 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.

The forum 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.

Deborah’s killing had sparked outrage and condemnation across the country, with Nigerians asking the government to fish out the perpetrators of the crime.

Subsequently, the police command in Sokoto announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with the killing.

But on Saturday morning, some Muslim youths in Sokoto took to the streets to protest against the arrest of the suspects, leading to a violent riot.

Following the development, Tambuwal imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state.

The school has also been closed down pending the investigation of the incident.