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By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Northern Governors Forum has appealed for calm, following the killing of Deborah Samuel, the 200L student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, who was set ablaze by a mob for alleged blasphemy.
The chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, made the appeal in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Dr Makut Macham, in Jos, on Sunday.
“The governors are concerned about the development which is clearly 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,” the statement read.
The governors noted that any attempt to adopt self-help in addressing grievances whether religious or otherwise, could lead to further chaos.
They commiserated with the family of the victim and appealed that security agencies be allowed to thoroughly investigate the matter
They also commiserated with Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, over the incident, and commended the proactive measures he adopted to restore normalcy.
The governors assured Tambuwal 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.