The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the gruesome murder of Deborah Samuel, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State.
President Buhari in a statement on Friday said the incident is a matter of concern as the law does not allow anyone to take matters into his/her hands no matter the circumstances.
He further called for peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance among all Nigerians while commiserating with the family of the deceased.
The statement from the President through his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu comes after the killing of Deborah on Thursday by her colleagues for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The statement reads: “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.
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.
“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,” said the President.
While calling for calm in the situation, the President directed relevant Ministers and heads of security agencies to help curb the spread of inflammatory statements on social media.
“President Buhari also 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,” the statement added.
He also extended condolence messages to the family of the deceased, the Sokoto State government and others concerned.
“The President extended the nation’s condolences to the family of the deceased student and wished all those injured a quick recovery. He commended the immediate response to the incident by the Sokoto State Government and urged religious and community leaders to call citizens’ attention to the need to exercise the right to freedom of speech responsibly.
“President Buhari called for tampered comments by the media and calm among the general population while investigation is ongoing to find out the remote and immediate causes of the incident.”
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