The Northern Governors Forum has called for calm following the killing of Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, over alleged blasphemy.
Gatekeepers News reports that the chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, Simon Lalong in a statement said the forum is concerned about the state of things in Sokoto State Northwest Nigeria.
The governors noted that any attempt to adopt self-help in addressing grievances — whether religious or otherwise — could lead to further chaos.
The forum commiserated with the family of the victim and appealed that security agencies be allowed to thoroughly investigate the matter.
It also commiserated with Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, over the incident while commending the proactive measures he adopted to restore normalcy.
The governors assured him of their solidarity and prayers in dealing with the matter, noting that they would ensure the adoption of necessary measures to forestall recurrence in any part of the region and nation at large.
The forum also stressed the need for people from the northern part of the country and Nigerians to show love, tolerance and respect for one another irrespective of faith, ethnicity or other affiliations.
Lalong said, “The governors are concerned about the development, which is an extra-judicial measure of addressing perceived infraction.
“The northern governors appeal for calm following reports of the hijack of a peaceful protest which later turned violent and led to the imposition of a curfew in Sokoto metropolis.”
