Deborah: Prof. Mansur Ibrahim leads 33 lawyers to defend alleged murderers

 

.Cleric offers to relocate family to P’Harcourt

.Tambuwal relaxes 24-hour curfew in Sokoto

As Nigerians battle to come to terms with the brutal murder of Deborah Samuel by Muslim fundamentalists and the whole world demands for justice, a professor of law led 33 other lawyers to defend the alleged murderers at a Sokoto Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Mansur Ibrahim is a professor of law at the  Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

Such a strong legal representation has been interpreted as a show of force by the Muslim community intent at pushing through Sharia law.

The two suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci, were, however, remanded in prison custody after Prof. Ibrahim applied for their bail on liberal terms, citing constitutional provisions and sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

The trial judge (name withheld for security reasons) reserved the ruling on the bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded at a correctional centre.

Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci were arraigned by the police over the lynching of Deborah, who was a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, on Thursday.

The suspects, who were Deborah’s schoolmates pleaded not guilty to the charges.

 

The young woman was lynched on Thursday May 12 and her body set ablaze by fellow students who accused her of blasphemy.

Police prosecutor Khalil Musa told the court that an investigation was in progress. He added that Deborah’s corpse was still in a morgue at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

However, the victim was buried in her hometown in Niger State on Saturday.

Her father said he paid N120,000 to transport her corpse to Niger as drivers were reluctant to carry her body.

A violent street protest on Saturday followed the arrest of the 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.

Meanwhile, the General overseer of Omega Power Ministry (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has offered to relocate the family of the late Deborah Samuel to Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

Following Deborah’s murder, her mother, Alheri Emmanuel, told newsmen that she will not send any of her remaining six children to school to avoid a repeat of the fate of her second child.

Deborah’s father, Emmanuel Garba, also said his family had accepted the incident as God’s will and will not be seeking redress.

Reacting to the development, the OPM leader on Monday via Instagram promised to help the family start life again in Port Harcourt.

He wrote “I just watched a video clip where the parents of Deborah Samuel said they will not be sending their children to school again. GOD FORBID.

“Anyone with their contacts should inform them immediately that I Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere the general overseer of OPM Church is relocating them to Port Harcourt.

“They would be staying in one of the OPM free estates where they will never pay rent forever. All their children are given automatic scholarship in OPM free schools. I will get the father a job and also open a shop for the mother.

“Please get in touch with them immediately. God bless you pls continue to share until it gets to them,” he pleaded

Meanwhile, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed in Sokoto as a measure to forestall breakdown of law and order.

The imposition was consequent upon the uproar that greeted the gruesome murder of Miss Deborah Samuel last week.

Deborah, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE) was murdered and set ablaze on allegation of blasphemy.

Following the ugly development, 2 persons were said to have been arrested by the security agencies in relation with the crime.

Unhappy with the arrest, some youths in the state had insisted that they should be released unconditionally.

They resorted to s violent protest to demand their release.

The protest was severe as hoodlums took advantage of it to loot and attack worship places, shops of innocent traders amongst others.

Worried by the protest of the outcome and in a bid to curtail further spread, Governor Tambuwal promptly imposed a 24-hour curfew in the State on Saturday, 14th May, 2022.

Reviewing the curfew on Monday, 16th May, 2022, Governor Tambuwal ordered that the curfew be relaxed to be in place ftom 6pm to 6am pending further review.

 

A statement by the State Commissioner of Finance, Isah Bajini Galadanci said the relaxation was aimed at allowing people the opportunity to pursue their legitimate businesses.

 

The statement read in part: “Sequel to the briefing by the Security Heads in the State, the State Governor, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR, (Mutawallen Sokoto) has ordered the relaxation of the 24 hour curfew in force in Sokoto metropolis

 

“The revised curfew will now be from dusk to dawn in Sokoto township. This is with a view to afford people the window to pursue their legitimate businesses and other means of livelihood.

 

“The Government, however, advised people to maintain peace in this regard, as it will not condone any breach of law and order in the State.

 

The identities of two suspects in the murder of Deborah Samuel have been revealed by the Nigerian Police Sokoto State Command.

Deborah, a Shehu Shagari College of Education student allegedly insulted Prophet Mohammed.

Two of the main suspects were quickly identified and apprehended.

On Monday, the prosecutor, Inspector Khalil Musa, named the suspects as Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunchi, both college students.

However, the court postponed a decision on the application until a later date that would be communicated to the lawyers.

As a result, the defendants were ordered to be remanded at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.