Mob Stones, Beats And Sets Fire To Student At Nigeria School For Alleged Blasphemous Statement

Police said that a student in northern Nigeria was murdered by a mob after she allegedly posted a blasphemous statement against Prophet Mohammed.

The mob stoned, beat and set fire to Deborah Yakubu on Thursday, reported CNN. The 200-level student of Home Economics at Shehu Shagari College of Education allegedly shared an offensive message in a school WhatsApp group, according to The Guardian. The said message drew the ire of other students, who overpowered school security, and killed her, said sources.

A source said that “she was having an argument with some of her schoolmates over their ongoing examination. When she was asked how she managed to pass her exams, she said it was Jesus." Some asked her to "withdraw the statement and apologize, which she refused."

Police spokesperson Sanusi Abubakar said in a statement that students forcefully removed her from the security room where she "was hidden by the school authorities." They "killed her and burnt the building." Following the incident, the school in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria was immediately closed.

Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto state's Governor, directed the Ministry of Higher Education and security agencies to investigate it.

An unverified video started circulating on social media in the aftermath of the killing. It appeared to show her attackers holding a matchbox and celebrating after setting her on fire. Abubakar said that two people have been arrested and "the suspects in the viral video on Twitter were spotted and will be nailed soon."

People of Nigeria have expressed their outrage on social media and denounced the killing. Farooq Kperogi, a professor at Kennesaw State University, said that murderers of "Christian woman in Sokoto must be arrested and punished!" He noted that sadly, this sort of "consequence-free murder of people in the name of avenging 'blasphemy' has been going on for far too long in the North. This must stop!"

Reverend Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto diocese said in a statement that the killing has "nothing to do with religion." He added that Christians have lived peacefully with their Muslim neighbors in Sokoto over the years, and that the "law must take its course."

Meanwhile, Yakubu was laid to rest in Tunga Magajiya, which was her hometown in Rijau local government area of Niger State, reported The Sun. Her mother has been in a coma since she heard the news of the death of her daughter.