The WhatsApp group and crossing of the red lines
Deborah Yakubu, a twenty-five-year-old Home Economics student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto state was part of a WhatsApp group set up specifically to help the students with their schoolwork.
When she noticed that the WhatsApp group was being hijacked for other purposes, she complained about it. Deborah’s complaint was not well received, and she was asked how she managed to pass her exams and Deborah responded saying “Jesus O”
Deborah was asked to retract her statement, but she refused. Her friends warned her to take the statement down and Deborah responded to them saying:
“Holy Ghost Fire. Nothing is going to happen to me. You should know what to send to this group. The group was not created to send nonsense, it was created for things like tests, assignments etc not the nonsense you are posting. No be only prophet, you are playing with me”
This statement enraged some of her Muslim coursemates who, it is reported, contracted “some strange men” to look for Deborah. Another set of course mates fearful for Deborah’s life took her to the security post to keep her safe. Some reports say that the angry mob overwhelmed the College’s security team while other reports say that the College security did nothing to intervene. In addition, there are videos being shared online showing Deborah being pursued, beaten, and stoned by a large crowd of men.
One man who was caught on video spoke to the camera waving a box of matches and claimed that he had killed Deborah and set her body alight. In some of the videos, the crowd can be seen celebrating with Deborah’s body on fire in the background.
Deborah Yakubu
Reaction to Deborah’s murder
Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria
Buhari is reported to have “strongly condemned” the murder saying that “no person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country. Violence will never solve any problem,”.
Photo by www.mortenfauerby.dk
©mortenfauerby 2010 – all rights reserved
Atiku Abubakar 2011 President campaign Photo by www.mortenfauerby.dk ©mortenfauerby 2010 – all rights reserved
Nigeria is preparing for a Presidential election in 2023 and you imagine that the Presidential aspirants would be falling over themselves to condemn Deborah’s murder.
One of the aspirants former Vice President of Nigeria, Abubakar Atiku put out a Tweet condemning the killing but promptly deleted it following backlash from northerners protesting the arrest of the suspects.
Approximately 25 applicants purchased forms to compete for the presidency. Not one of them has stepped forward to condemn Deborah’s murder.
Catriona Laing, British High Commissioner for Nigeria
Ms Laing has condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel Yakub by Tweet
Riots in Sokoto by those demanding the release of Deborah’s killers
The Sokoto State government has declared a curfew to calm the tension as the supporters of Deborah’s killers have taken to attacking people and property.
Islamic oppression of Christians in Nigeria
According to Open Doors, there are just over 98 million Christians in Nigeria – that is almost half of the country’s 211.5 million population and the greatest threat they face is from Islamic oppression.
“Muslims have some red lines that must not be crossed” – Ibrahim Maqari, Imam of the National Mosque of Abuja
One law for Muslims and another for Christians
Deborah’s killers do not expect to face justice. Injustice is so widespread against Christians in Nigeria that nobody expects Deborah’s killers to face justice. This has been a precedent set over decades in Nigeria. There is one law for Muslims and another for Christians.
In Nigeria, repentant Boko Haram terrorists attend lavish ceremonies at the expense of the government and are welcomed back into society with open arms. They are not subject to the savage mob justice that Deborah Yakubu faced.
The civil war in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970 was preceded by similar violence. The 1966 Anti-Igbo pogrom saw 30,000 Igbo people who lived in the north murdered.
According to unconfirmed reports, Nigeria recorded 26 religious’ riots between 1980 and 1992 in which 6,775 lost their lives.
According to Open Doors, 896 Nigerians have been killed in violent attacks in 2022 so far.
Don’t let Nigeria happen to you
During the covid19 pandemic, people ended conversations with friends and loved ones saying stay safe.
With insecurity endemic in Nigeria, people now ask their friends family and loved ones to don’t let Nigeria happen to them as it happened to Deborah Yakubu.
As many Nigerians mourn the loss of Deborah Yakubu, one question lingers: Who is next?