Amnesty International has renewed its calls for the apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators responsible for the murder of Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a female Christian student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, Sokoto State.
The tragic incident occurred on May 12, 2022, when Deborah, a second-year Christian college student, was stoned to death by a mob of Muslim students in Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria, following allegations of blasphemy against Islam.
In the aftermath of the incident, two suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, were arrested in connection with her murder and remanded by a Magistrate Court in Sokoto State. However, during the court proceedings, the suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, which included criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbance, the suspects were discharged and acquitted by the court.
Chief Magistrate Shuaibu Ahmad, Esq, in a five-page judgment delivered on January 30, 2023, set the suspects free due to the absence of police prosecution during the hearings.
This decision has drawn condemnation from various quarters, including Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, who expressed dismay over the lack of justice for Deborah.
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Speaking at the PUNCH 50th Anniversary Public Lecture, Soyinka described it as tragic that none of Deborah’s killers had been brought to justice even two years after her brutal murder.
Soyinka’s remarks highlight the ongoing struggle for justice in cases of religious violence and underscore the urgent need for accountability in ensuring the protection of human rights for all individuals.
In a post on its X handle on Monday night, Amnesty International said that more than a year after she was killed, the Nigerian authorities have failed to hold the killers to account, therefore, the organisation demanded that the Nigerian authorities must ensure that Deborah’s killers are brought to justice.