Slain student Deborah Yakubu was buried on May 14 in her hometown, Tunga Magajiya, in Rijau area of Niger. (Photo supplied)
The arrest of two suspects in connection with the murder and burning of a young girl student, Deborah Yakubu, within the premises of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto for alleged blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammed has led to protests by Muslim youths who have burnt and destroyed churches in the metropolis.
"Groups of youths led by some adults in the background attacked the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral at Bello Way, destroying glass windows, those of the Bishop Lawson Secretariat and vandalized a community bus parked within the premises," said Father Christopher Omotosho, the Social Communication director in Sokoto diocese.
"St. Kevin's Gidan Dare, Eastern Bypass was also attacked and partly burnt; windows of the new hospital under construction on the same premises were shattered.
"The hoodlums also attacked the Bakhita Centre located along Aliu Jodi Road and burnt a bus within the premises."
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the largest and top Christian body in the country, has directed all its secretariats across the country to stage a peaceful protest, demanding justice for Deborah Yakubu.
The association in a May 14 statement urged all Nigerians in the diaspora to also stage protests at Nigerian embassies worldwide to call the attention of the international community to weigh in on the matter.
The association president, Baptist pastor Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, requested all Church leaders, through your various churches to organize a peaceful protest in honour of "one of our daughter, Deborah Yakubu, who was gruesomely murdered on Thursday, May 12... by some Islamic extremists,” read the statement.
“The protest will take place on May 22 afternoon in every Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria nationwide and not on the streets in order to avoid further loss of lives.
Those who cannot attend the protest may "make use of the traditional media and social media to give it wide coverage in order to sensitize the whole world," the statement said.
It also asekd to pray for Deborah’s family and friends and for peace in the country.
Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal has declared a 24-hour curfew to stem the protests.Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto has "commended the governor for acting promptly by declaring the 24-hour curfew to stem the protests" and deploying security forces to promptly "prevent further damage at our facilities."
Bishop Kukah also appealed to Christians "to remain law-abiding and pray for the return of normalcy."
The slain student was buried on May 14 in her hometown, Tunga Magajiya, in Rijau area of Niger state amidst tears.
