Nigerian Police Finally Breaks Silence, Reveals Whereabouts Of Suspected Killers Of Sokoto Student, Deborah Samuel
The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed claims that persons arrested in connection with the killing of Deborah Samuel, a female student of the College of Education in Sokoto State in May 2022, have been released.
The Force Spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated this on Saturday as Nigerians marked the one-year anniversary of the gruesome murder of the female student by Islamic extremists – an action which sparked national and global outrage.
Naija News House had reported that Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was on the 12th of May 2022, gruesomely killed by her fellow students who accused her of blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.
It was learned that the mob that lynched Deborah Samuel were composed of students and some “foreigners” hired by the extremists to carry out the attack.
A few months after the tragedy, the Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto State Police Command, stated that its personnel were committed to finding the killers of Deborah Samuel.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Sanusi Abubakar, indicated that those arrested were not the primary culprits, but rather behind a riot within the Sokoto metropolis in connection with the incident.
Despite a viral video showing the faces of some of those responsible for flogging, killing, and burning Deborah for alleged blasphemy, one year after, Nigerian authorities have yet to see the case to its end, implying that the government might have allowed the case to be swept under the carpet.
However, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi while reacting to the issue via his Twitter handle, said the arrested suspects are currently being held in a correctional center. He also stated that he had asked the Sokoto state PRO to release photos of the suspects so as to clear any doubt that they had been released.
He wrote “They are in custody, Correctional Centre, under prosecution. Instead of him spreading falsehood that no one was arrested, he even said “not even a fly”; Why can’t he make some contacts in Sokoto or NCoS to know how far about the suspects or the Ministry of Justice about the prosecution. His falsehood is too weighty and dangerous to our national security and unity.
“I have said it, if his comment or tweet creates a crisis, he will be questioned, to unravel his motive, or the motives of his sponsors. His comment was careless and unguided.”
When asked to provide pictures and evidence of the suspects being arraigned, the police spokesman said, “I have asked the PPRO Sokoto to do that, asap. And his contacts will be shared here if he doesn’t come up on time. He should be up and doing in issues like this. No worries.”
