Deborah Samuel killing: Police declare suspects in viral video wanted

The police in Sokoto have declared the men seen in the viral video of the murder of Deborah Samuel wanted for culpable homicide.

Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto Command, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, a day after two other suspects were arraigned for killing the 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education.

“Prime suspects that claimed responsibility for the murder of Deborah Samuel in the viral video were declared wanted,” Abubakar said.

He called on members of the public to cooperate with the police and report to the command or any security outfit in their domain if they have information on the suspects.

He also assured that the Sokoto Police Command is committed to apprehending the suspects, adding, “The command has already deployed all its intelligence and is on the lookout for the suspects.”.

Deborah had been killed on Thursday last week by a mob after she was accused of blasphemy.

The gruesome murder sparked outrage and drew condemnation from many and led the Sokoto State government to shut down the school.

As the news spread and videos of the murder went viral, the police announced the arrest of two suspects.

Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, were among those who condemned the killing.

Amid calls for justice, the situation in the state degenerated on Saturday after an angry mob held a violent protest attacking the Holy Family Cathedral and another Catholic Church facility in the state while demanding the release of those arrested.

In reaction, the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state.

The curfew was relaxed on Monday and the two arrested suspects were arraigned on the same day. They were both remanded in custody.

Meanwhile, the remains of Deborah were buried in her home town, Tunga Magajiya, in the Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State over the weekend