Deborah Samuel’s Killers Faced Camera, Bragged And Held A Matchbox – Amnesty International Slams Nigerian Government For Not Prosecuting Culprits Since 2022

Global human rights body, the Amnesty International, has decried the failure of the Nigerian authorities to hold to account killers’ of Deborah Samuel over alleged blasphemy more than one year after she was lynched by school mates.

Describing the latent behaviour of the government on violent crimes, the global rights organisation, stated that the consistent failure of the Nigerian government to tackle violence in the name of religion has effectively sent the message that anyone could commit murder and get away with it.

Amnesty International which stated this in statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, regretted that despite the fact that the killers of Deborah Samuel did not hide their faces in camera while committing the heinous crime, yet the State finds it difficult to bring them to justice since May 12, 2022.

The statement partly read: “#Deborah Samuel was lynched by her school mates over alleged #blasphemy on 12 May 2022 in #Sokoto. More than a year after, the Nigerian authorities have failed to hold her killers to account.

“In a flagrant show of utter disdain for the sanctity of life and impunity, a video footage of a raging fire and a man facing the camera, bragging that he killed and burnt Deborah Samuel — while also brandishing a matchbox was widely shared on social media.

“Consistent failure of the #Nigerian government to tackle violence in the name of religion has effectively sent the message that anyone can commit outrageous abuses and get away with it. This is unacceptable,” it stated.