The State of Emergency GBV Movement has called for the arrest and prosecution of all the people involved in the killing of Deborah Samuel.
According to the movement, the brutal murder of 200 level Home Economics student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto by students who accused her of blasphemy is horrible.
In a statement made available to news men, the movement insisted that the actions of individuals involved are barbaric, despicable, and criminal.
The movement said in the statement:
“The Constitution upholds the right to life and mandates all citizens to respect the rights and dignity of others. The Constitution does not recognise blasphemy, and Nigeria’s laws are clear on murder.
“Any person who feels their right to freedom of religion and belief has been or is being violated is expected by law to seek redress from the courts and not resort to jungle justice. Allowing this injustice by a depraved criminal mob to go without prosecution and punishment will enable anarchy in our system and further shred the fabric of our humanity as Nigerians.
“We, therefore, call on law enforcement agencies to swiftly apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators, whose faces are identifiable in the now viral gruesome video. We also call for further investigation to identify accomplices in the murder for immediate prosecution. Swift and commensurate justice must be served to deter future occurrences of this heinous crime.
“This crime was committed within the precinct of an educational institution in a country where girls account for 60% of the nation’s out-of-school children, one of the highest in the world. Without an appropriate response, prosecution and punishment, this incident will exacerbate the insecurity, and lack of safety women and girls in higher institutions already face. We must ensure the security of all lives in our institutions of learning and create a system of accountability between students and the leadership of such institutions.
“Deborah’s death is one too many amidst the depravity of uncontrolled banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and insecurity ravaging the country. We call on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, the Nigerian Governors Forum, and Nigeria’s security agencies to be loud and unambiguous in their condemnation of this gruesome murder and to guarantee a swift investigation and delivery of justice for Deborah and her loved ones.”
