SOME youths in Sokoto state have stoned and burnt a female student to death for what they believed is blasphemy against the Islamic Prophet Muhammed, ICIR reports.
The lady, identified simply as Deborah, was a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto state.
According to a viral video seen by The ICIR, Deborah, who was in a pink dress, was lying unconscious on the floor while she was being mobbed.
After a while, the youths chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ set her on fire using motor tyres.
One of the persons in the video confirmed he was part of those who mobbed and burnt her. He noted he struck the match that led to the fire.
“I am the one who killed her; I burnt her,” he said in Hausa language while displaying a box of matches in his hand.
The incident appeared to have happened at the security post not very far from the school gate.
Another female student of the school, who did not want her name mentioned, told The ICIR that Deborah had sent a voice note on a student WhatsApp platform condemning the sharing of religious messages.
She had insisted that the group was meant and created for school work which included tests and assignments and demanded that messages related to ‘the messenger of Allah’ were not part of it.
Deborah said in a viral voice note to a WhatsApp group on Wednesday evening described the messages as ‘useless’.
She told The ICIR that Deborah was attacked on Thursday morning when she entered the school premises.
In a circular seen by The ICIR, the authority of the Shehu Shagari College of Education ordered the immediate closure of the school over what it described as a ‘rampage’.
Following today’s early morning students rampage in the College, the College Management has resolved to close down the College indefinitely with immediate effect.
Consequently, all students are hereby directed to vacate the College campus immediate,” the statement read.
The Registrar of the school, Muhammad Gandi Asara, did not respond to calls and a text message from The ICIR.
Also, the Spokesperson for the Sokoto Police Command, Abubakar Sanusi, did not answer his call and failed to respond to a message from The ICIR over the incident.
