Lynching of Deborah Yakubu

On 12 May 2022, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a second-year Nigerian Christian college student, was killed by a mob at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, Nigeria. She had allegedly posted a comment on WhatsApp criticizing classmates for discussing religion-related posts in a study group she believed should have been reserved for academic material. This led to accusations that she had committed blasphemy against the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Yakubu was forcibly removed from a security room where she had been hidden, despite a cab waiting outside the school to take her to safety at a police station. A mob of Muslim students stoned her within the college premises, then placed tires on her body and set it on fire. Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas and warning shots but did not disperse the crowd. A witness reported that Yakubu's last words were "What do you hope to achieve with this?" and that Christian students fled the campus during the attack. Video of the killing circulated on social media, reportedly including footage of one participant describing the act in graphic detail, and footage of a police officer endorsing the killing and labeling critics "Kafir."

In the aftermath, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal ordered the college closed indefinitely and opened an investigation. Two students identified from video footage were arrested but were charged only with "criminal conspiracy and incitement of public disturbance," bailable offences carrying a maximum two-year sentence. A defense team of 34 lawyers led by Prof. Mansur Ibrahim represented the suspects. The court later acquitted them after prosecution lawyers failed to appear in proceedings. According to the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, violence continued after the killing, with crowds attacking Holy Family Catholic Cathedral, St. Kevin's Catholic Church, and the Bakhita Centre, causing property damage including burned buses and shattered windows.

The case drew national and international reaction. President Muhammadu Buhari condemned taking the law into one's own hands while commending the state government's response. Opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar faced criticism after removing social media posts condemning the killing following backlash from some supporters. The Christian Association of Nigeria and other religious leaders called for swift prosecution and urged the government not to cover up the killing. The Sultan of Sokoto and the Sokoto Sultanate Council condemned the killing and urged justice, while some Muslim leaders separately called for stricter blasphemy laws. British High Commissioner Catriona Laing called for perpetrators to face justice, and the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need condemned the killing as part of a broader pattern of violence in Nigeria. Human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa criticized the charges as inadequate and called on Governor Tambuwal to resign over the handling of the case.