There was a lot of turmoil in Sokoto State today as some of the residents who have been believed to be Muslims, took the streets protesting the arrest of the suspected killers of Deborah Samuel, who was lynched on Thursday for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammed.
Reports reaching Africa Daily News, New York have shown that the protesters attacked some churches along Ahmadu Bello Way in the state capital, while demanding the release of the suspects.
Among the destroyed properties were a Catholic church and a building of the Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, which were reportedly destroyed by the protesters. Some shops belonging to indigenes of the southeast who reside in the area were also destroyed during the incident.
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has imposed a 24-hour curfew to curtail the riot.
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Some of the protesters besieged the palace of Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the sultan of Sokoto and the highest spiritual figure among Muslims in Nigeria, after he condemned the killing and demanded those involved face justice.
“It was more of a riot by a mob of young men and women who were demanding the release of the two people arrested over the killing of the Christian student,” said a Sokoto resident, Ibrahim Arkilla.
“The crowd which made bonfires on the streets were also demanding the police stop the manhunt for those identified to have taken part in the killing,” said Arkilla, who witnessed the protests.
A large number of protesters gathered at the palace chanting “Allahu Akbar”, said Bube Ando, who lives nearby.
“Some among the security men deployed to protect the palace tried to ask the protesters to leave but they became unruly.
“Policemen and soldiers who stood outside the palace hurled teargas canisters and fired into the air and succeeded in dispersing the crowd,” he said, without giving details about whether anyone was hurt.
The mob retreated downtown where they tried to loot shops belonging to Christian residents but were dispersed by security patrol teams, said another resident, Faruk Danhili.
