THE Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has condemned the murder of Deborah Samuel over alleged blasphemy.
Deborah, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State, was burnt to death within the school premises on Thursday by a mob who accused her of disrespecting Prophet Mohammed.
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The British High Commissioner in Nigeria Catriona Laing in a post on her official Twitter handle on Friday.
“I condemn the murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, and urge the police and relevant authorities to ensure the perpetrators of this horrific act are made to face justice in line with the law,” she said.
Deborah was attacked for condemning the sharing of religious messages on an academic WhatsApp group.
She said the group was meant for school work which included tests and assignments and demanded that messages related to ‘the messenger of Allah’ were not part of it, a move interpreted by her attackers as blasphemy.
The Sokoto State government ordered an investigation into Deborah’s murder, although it did not expressly condemn the incident.
The Police Command in the State, however, said in a statement on Friday that it has arrested two people in connection with the murder.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.