Thugs suspected to be among protesters demanding the release of arrested murderers of Deborah Samuel have set ablaze St Bahkita, the Secretariat of the Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church, which is headed by Bishop Matthew Kukah.
Peoples Gazette reported that photos and videos circulating on the Internet were geolocated to confirm the church located on Aliyu Jodi Road as the scene of the incident.
The report quoted Bishop Kukah as confirming in a phone call that he was on his way of the state, although it could not be immediately confirmed if he was being evacuated for security reasons.
Recall that Governor Aminu Tambuwal today imposed a 24-hour curfew on Sokoto metropolis after a protest organised to demand the release of two suspects arrested in connection with the killing of Deborah Samuel turned violent.
Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, was stoned and clobbed to death before her dead body was set ablaze by fellow students who accused her of blaspheming Prophet Muhammad on Thursday.
The protesters in large numbers on Saturday besieged the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III but were forcibly turned away by armed security operatives.
Tambuwal, in a broadcast, called on the people to remain indoor as security operatives were being deployed to safeguard lives and properties.