CSOs: Killing of Sokoto female student is despicable… justice must be swift

The State of Emergency GBV Movement, a coalition of 10 civil society organisations (CSOs), has condemned the killing of Deborah Emmanuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto state. 

The student was said to have been attacked by a mob over comments reportedly considered to be an insult to Prophet Mohammed.

A video of the student being stoned and beaten with sticks was shared on social media, and the incident was said to have occurred in the early hours of Thursday.

In a statement issued on Friday, the CSOs said the act was a “barbaric, despicable, and criminal gruesome murder by a vicious group of students using religion to justify killing and criminal acts”.

“The Constitution upholds the right to life and mandates all citizens to respect the rights and dignity of others. The Constitution does not recognise blasphemy, and Nigeria’s laws are clear on murder,” the statement reads.

“Any person who feels their right to freedom of religion and belief has been or is being violated, is expected by law to seek redress from the courts and not resort to jungle justice.

“Allowing this injustice by a depraved criminal mob to go without prosecution and punishment will enable anarchy in our system and further shred the fabric of our humanity as Nigerians.

“We, therefore, call on law enforcement agencies to swiftly apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators, whose faces are identifiable in the now-viral gruesome video.

“We also call for further investigation to identify accomplices in the murder for immediate prosecution. Swift and commensurate justice must be served to deter future occurrences of this heinous crime.

“This crime was committed within the precinct of an educational institution in a country where girls account for 60% of the nation’s out-of-school children, one of the highest in the world. Without an appropriate response, prosecution and punishment, this incident will exacerbate the insecurity, and lack of safety women and girls in higher institutions already face.

“We must ensure the security of all lives in our institutions of learning and create a system of accountability between students and the leadership of such institutions.

“Deborah’s death is one too many amidst the depravity of uncontrolled banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and insecurity ravaging the country.”

The CSOs asked the federal government, national assembly, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and security agencies “to be loud and unambiguous in their condemnation of this gruesome murder and to guarantee a swift investigation and delivery of justice for Deborah and her loved ones”.

Signatories to the statement are Invictus Africa, TechHerNG, Yiaga Africa, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, Connected Development (CODE), Stand To End Rape Initiative, YouthHubAfrica, Education as a Vaccine, Enough is Enough, and SilverChipFox Consulting Services.