THE National Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has directed all churches and Christians in Nigeria and Nigerian embassies globally in honour of Deborah Yakubu who was lynched by Islamic extremists in the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto last Thursday.
The directive, conveyed in a letter sighted by National Record and dated May 14,2022, is signed by Joseph Bade Daramola, Esq., CAN’s General Secretary, and addressed to all Block Leaders, Zonal Chairmen, State Chairmen, Local Coordinators, as well as Denominational and Church Leaders of CAN.
According to Mr Daramola, the directive came from the CAN President, His Eminence, Rev. Dr Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, requesting all Church Leaders to organise the nationwide peaceful protest hold on Sunday, May 22, 2022 by 3pm.
The letter directed Church leaders to hold the protests in the premises of their churches and not on the streets “in order to avoid further loss of lives.”
The letter, entitled: “A REQUEST FOR NATIONWIDE PEACEFUL PROTESTS, CALLING FOR JUSTICE FOR DEBORAH YAKUBU,” reads:
“I have been directed by the CAN President, His Eminence, Rev. Dr Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, to request all Church Leaders, through your various Churches to organize a PEACEFUL PROTEST in honour of one of our daughters, DEBORAH YAKUBU who was gruesomely murdered on Thursday, 12 May, 2022 at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto in Sokoto State by some Islamic extremists.
“The protest will take place on 22 May, 2022 in the afternoon by 3:00 Pm in every Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) nationwide and not on the streets in order to avoid further loss of lives. Those without CAN’s Secretariat may use any church with big premises.
“We are to hold placards with some succinct message[s] like “WE DEMAND JUSTICE 4 DEBORAH,” “NO MORE KILLINGS IN NIGERIA,” “CHRISTIANS ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS,” “KILLERS OF DEBORAHMUST BE PROSECUTED,” “WE CONDEMN RELIGIOUS KILLINGS,” “WE SAY NO TO ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS.”
“we urge those who could afford it to make use of the traditional media and the social media and other can use only the social media to give it a wide coverage in order to sensitize the whole world. We also call on Nigerian Christians in diaspora to join us using our embassies all over the world.
“The occasion can also be used to pray for Deborah’s family and friends, peace for the country, victory for the Church and godly political leaders in the coming general election.
“Thanks, and God bless you all.”
Sokoto Govt Shuts Schools for a Week
Meanwhile the Sokoto State Government has announced the suspension of the resumption of basic and secondary schools in the state by one week. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the schools were supposed to resume on Sunday and Monday, for boarding and day students.
The suspension was announced via a statement by Ibrahim Iya, spokesperson of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, on Sunday in Sokoto. It said that the suspension was sequel to the 24-hour curfew declared by the government.
It added that the Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Bello Guiwa, directed all public and private schools to resume on May 22, for boarding and May 23, for day students.
“However, final year students who are supposed to begin their WAEC examination on Monday, 16th May 2022, are not affected. Parents, teachers, SBMC’s and PTAs are expected to comply with the directive please,” it added.
In a related development, corps members serving in Sokoto State, especially those in Sokoto metropolis, have been advised to remain at home due to the 24-hour curfew.
This was contained in another statement from the spokesperson of the scheme in Sokoto State, Sani Idris, on Sunday. It said that the management of the scheme had contacted all the security agencies, to ensure the safety of its corps members throughout the curfew period and beyond.
“Arrangements have also been made for the police and army patrol vehicles to intensify surveillance in all of the corps members’ locations. Management urged corps members to remain calm and law-abiding at all time and also assured them that things would soon return to normalcy in the state,” it added.
The government had on Saturday declared a 24-hour curfew on Sokoto metropolis, following violent protests by some youths who demanded the release of some suspects arrested by the security agencies due to the lynching and burning of Deborah Yakubu, on Thursday.
Ms Yakubu, a 200-level Home Economics student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was alleged to have committed blasphemy in her class’ WhatsApp group.
Her remains were said to have been buried on Saturday in her hometown, Tungar Magajiya, Rijau LGA of Niger State by her family.
The Sokoto State Government and other security agencies are also conducting investigations into the incident.
