Deborah’s Mother unconscious as murdered student’s corpse arrives home town for burial
The body of Deborah Samuel, a student at Sokoto’s Shehu Shagari College of Education who was burned to death on Thursday for alleged blasphemy, has arrived in Tunga Magajiya in Niger State’s Rijau local government area.
It was gathered that Deborah’s mother has been unconscious since hearing of her death, while her father has been distraught.
The family is currently meeting to discuss the burial arrangements.
It was learnt that the body was on its way to Niger State when the Sokoto State Official requested that it be returned since it had become government property.
Her family, however, insisted that she be buried today.
Pastor Emmanuel Maaji, who is the pastor of the family and the one in charge of the 1st ECWA in Tunga Magajiya, revealed that the family wanted her buried on Saturday.
He stated that the family is dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the situation with kid gloves, adding that Deborah’s body was transported on a hired bus and that the driver returned to Sokoto shortly after dropping the body off.
Deborah had been staying with family members in Sokoto since she was in primary school, he said, regretting her death.
“The government only called and said that it is not right for the family to take the body like that without informing them. They said that they shouldn’t bury the body as the body is for the government and not for the family. They asked them to put the body in the mortuary,” Maaji stated.
“We are preparing for the burial. She will be buried today. We are all here to give the family support. We will update you on the situation as it goes,” he informed.
Deborah’s uncle said he would speak with newsmen later because they are still preparing the burial and conducting meetings.
The Rijau Local Government Area CAN Coordinator, Reverend Danjuma Doma, stated that the family and church were preparing for the burial.
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