“Our WhatsApp group was created for assignments, tests, exams; not religious messages,” said slain Deborah Samuel
New evidence has emerged in the wake of the gruesome murder of Deborah Samuel, a christian female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Wamako.
Ms Samuel, a 200 level Home-Economics student, accused of blasphemy, had complained bitterly over the influx of religious broadcast messages shared to her department’s WhatsApp page.
In a voice note, the deceased reminded her coursemates that the group was created solely for academic purpose, such as sharing important information regarding tests, assignments, deadlines, examinations and the likes.
“Holy ghost fire, nothing would happen to me. Is it by force you guys keep sending these religious messages in our group? Our group wasn’t created for that, but rather as a notice for when there’s a test, assignment, examinations, etc. Not these nonsense religious posts,” voiced Miss Deborah on her department’s WhatsApp group and heard by Peoples Gazette.
The voice message elicited the fury of fanatic coursemates and schoolmates who found her comment unflattering to their Islamic beliefs.
Ms Deborah was mobbed at the school’s security post by irate students who hit her repeatedly with sticks and stones till she died.
Her dying body was roasted alongside the building where she sought safety, according to a student who witnessed the development and passed its preliminary details to The Gazette.
The witness’ information has not been independently verified by The Gazette, but a video has already circulated online showing how the student was set alight.
Sokoto police spokesman Sanusi Abubakar declined comments about the incident when reached by The Gazette.
Authorities have issued a statement announcing immediate closure of the school over the fracas that broke out following Ms Deborah’s murder.
Killing over blasphemy has been a recurring crisis across northern Nigeria for years, but authorities have not been able to address the situation. Culprits are usually not arrested, or released shortly after being taken into custody in the predominantly Muslim region.
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