Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, has expressed sadness and called for calm over the death from stoning and immolation of Miss Deborah Yakubu in the state on Thursday.
Miss Yakubu, a 200 level female Christian student was stoned to death and set ablaze at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto.
She allegedly had arguments with fellow students online and the Muslims among them claimed that she blasphemed Prophet Muhammad.
The interaction reportedly took place during the Muslim month of Ramadan when the college was on break. When they sighted her at the school yesterday, all available Muslim male students surrounded her and started stoning her.
They continued until she fell and made sure she died and subsequently set her body ablaze.
In a statement, Bishop Kukah condemned the act in very strong terms and called on the Sokoto state government and the relevant authorities to investigate the incident to ascertain the cause of the action and bring the perpetrators of the act to book.
He said the only obligation owed the parents of the murdered student, her fellow students and the college is to ensure that those who carried out the act are punished, no matter their motivation.
The Bishop added that what happened has nothing to do with religion as Christians have been living peacefully with fellow Muslims in Sokoto over the years.
Bishop Kukah called on all Christians to remain calm and pray for the repose of the soul of Deborah Yakubu.
Meanwhile, the Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto has been shut down.
