The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby has condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel, a Christian student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto.
Welby described Deborah’s murder as a sin against God.
Deborah, a 200-level student, was gruesomely murdered by some students for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad.
In a series of tweets, the Archbishop urged the Nigerian Government to protect religious rights.
He lamented that the 200-level student was killed in God’s name.
Welby wrote: “I strongly condemn the appalling stoning to death of a Christian woman in Sokoto, Nigeria. This violence is a sin against God. I pray for the family and loved ones of Deborah Samuel.
“I have spent much time in northern Nigeria working with others in pursuit of reconciliation and interfaith dialogue. I am profoundly disappointed and grieved that such violence still takes place in God’s name.”I’m grateful for those Nigerian Muslim leaders that have condemned this atrocity. I call for renewed efforts by the Nigerian Government to ensure liberty and equality under the law – whether for Christians or Muslims – which was so tragically absent in this case. I urged people to pray for interfaith dialogue, reconciliation and peace in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, some of the suspects involved in Deborah’s murder were remanded in prison by a Sokoto Magistrate Court.
This was after the accused persons, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunchi, who are also college students, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
