Buhari condemns killing of Sokoto student saying no one has the right to take the law into their hands

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has added his voice the growing condemnation of the recent murder of Sokoto education student Deborah Samuel who was lynched by an irate mob yesterday for blaspheming Prophet Mohammed.

Ms Samuel, 22, a 200 Level student as the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, was stoned to death before being set ablaze by fellow pupils. President Buhari has strongly condemned the resort to self-help by the Sokoto mob,  saying the news of the killing of the young lady by fellow students was a matter of concern and demanded an impartial, extensive probe into all that happened before and during the incident.

President Buhari noted that Muslims all over the world demand respect for the holy prophets, including Jesus Christ and Mohammad but where transgressions occur, as alleged to be the case in this instance, the law does not allow anyone to take matters into their hands. He added that moreover religious leaders preach that it is not for the believer to judge the actions of another person, as the constituted authority must be allowed to deal with such matters when they arise.

“No person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country. Violence has and never will solve any problem,” President Buhari said.

In addition, the president also directed the ministries of information and culture, police affairs and of communications and digital economy to work with GSM providers and tech companies to help contain the spread of false and inflammatory information through social media. He extended the nation’s condolences to the family of the deceased student and wished all those injured a quick recovery.

President Buhari commended the immediate response to the incident by the government and urged religious and community leaders to call citizens’ attention to the need to exercise the right to freedom of speech responsibly. He called for tampered comments by the media and calm among the general population while investigations are ongoing.