The Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto State command, has admitted that the suspects arrested in the burning to death of a Christian female student, Deborah Samuel, for blasphemy were charged to court for “inciting disturbance.” but were discharged and acquitted by the court.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, the police said they have done their own part in the case.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Rufai Ahmad, made this known while fielding questions from journalists on the case of Deborah Samuel and Usman Buda, a butcher who was recently killed at Sokoto Modern Abattoir in Mahuta Market.
Recall that on May 12, 2022, Deborah Samuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was attacked by a mob and set ablaze by a mob over comments considered to be blasphemy.
Few days after, a Magistrate Court sitting in Sokoto State remanded the two suspects, Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci arrested in connection with her murder.
During the court proceedings, the suspects pleaded not guilty to the murder of the deceased.
They were subsequently discharged and acquitted by the court.
Speaking on the incident, the police spokesperson said; “On Deborah’s issue, police have done their own part by arraigning people in court. Those people that were arrested, like you said, were charged on inciting disturbance which is a bailable offence. When we charged them to court, we have done our own part. Court decided to vindicate them or release them, that is none of our business.
“That question should been directed to court. We have done our own part.”
SaharaReporters had reported on May 18, 2023, that court documents revealed how the suspected killers of Deborah Emmanuel were freed after the Nigerian police prosecutors failed to show up in court.
In a five-page court judgement, delivered on January 30, 2023 in the Chief Magistrate Court I Gutwa, Sokoto, which SaharaReporters said it has seen, Chief Magistrate Shuaibu Ahmad, Esq set the suspects free due to the absence of the police prosecution during series of hearings.
The charges against them, criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbance, should have carried a maximum of two-year jail term upon conviction.