Two persons suspected to have been involved in the killing of a 200-Level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, Deborah Samuel, on May 12, were today arraigned before a Sokoto Chief Magistrate’a court.
The late student, Deborah Samuel, was stoned and burnt to death for asking that religious posts shouldn’t be made in her class whatsapp platform meant for educational purposes.
The suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, co-students of the deceased, alleged to have participated in the act pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Inspector Khalil Musa, prosecuting counsel told the court that an investigation was in progress as Deborah’s corpse was still in a morgue at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
While on the other hand, a team of 34 lawyers, being led by the defence counsel, Prof. Mansur Ibrahim, applied for their bail on liberal terms, citing constitutional provisions and sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
The judge (name withheld for security reasons) reserved the ruling on the bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded at a correctional centre.
A violent street protest followed the arrest of suspects linked to the lynching of Deborah as the protesters demanded their immediate release by security operatives.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal consequently imposed a 24-hour curfew on Sokoto metropolis on Saturday. He relaxed the curfew on Monday to be observed from dusk to dawn.
(NAN)
