Deborah: Nobody has right to take laws into their hands, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the killing of Deborah Emmanuel, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto.

The student was reportedly attacked over comments said to be considered to be an insult to Prophet Mohammed.

A video of the student being stoned and beaten surfaced on social media on Thursday afternoon, and the incident was said to have occurred earlier on the same day.

Speaking on the development on Friday in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, Buhari said whatever had been the circumstances, no one is allowed to take laws into their hands.

“No person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country. Violence has and never will solve any problem,” he was quoted as saying.

The president also said the matter requires extensive probe to determine the issues surrounding the case.

“President Muhammadu Buhari strongly condemns the resort to self-help by the mob in sokoto, resulting in violence, destruction and killing of a second year student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel, following an allegation that she had blasphemed Muhammad (SAW), the Prophet of Islam on Thursday,” the statement reads.

“President Buhari said the news of the killing of the young lady by fellow students was a matter of concern and demanded an impartial, extensive probe into all that happened before and during the incident.

“The President noted that Muslims all over the world demand respect for the Holy Prophets, including Isah (Alaihissalaam, Jesus Christ) and Muhammad (SAW) but where transgressions occur, as alleged to be the case in this instance, the law does not allow anyone to take matters into their hands.

“Moreover, religious leaders preach that it is not for the believer to judge the actions of another person. The constituted authority must be allowed to deal with such matters when they arise.”

Shehu added that the president “extended the nation’s condolences to the family of the deceased student and wished all those injured a quick recovery”.

BUHARI DIRECTS MINISTRIES TO EMBARK ON SENSITISATION

Meanwhile, the president has directed the ministries of information and culture, police affairs and that of communications and digital economy to “work with GSM providers and tech companies to help contain the spread of false and inflammatory information through social media”.

According to the statement by Shehu, Buhari also commended the efforts of the Sokoto government to address the situation, and called on  religious and community leaders to “call citizens’ attention to the need to exercise the right to freedom of speech responsibly”.

He also called for calm from the public, and “tempered comments by the media”, adding that investigation is ongoing on the matter.