Alleged Blasphemy: Tension in Sokoto, Tambuwal Declares Curfew

By Onuminya Innocent In Sokoto
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Saturday declared a 24-hour curfew in Sokoto metropolis following the protest that greeted the comments of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, over  the killing of Deborah Emmanuel 
Sultan on Friday condemned the killing of Deborah Emmanuel and charged the security agents to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book.
On Saturday morning, some angry youth mobilized themselves to the Sultan’s palace in Sokoto, insisting that his comments on the killing of Deborah Emmanuel, a 200 level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto were anti Islam.
The irate youth also demanded that those arrested over the killing should be released with immediate effect.
There was pandemonium in Sokoto metropolis as the youth also blocked major highways within the town 
Following the development,  in a state wide broadcast, Governor Tambuwal said by the power conferred on him by sections 176 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Sections 1 and 4 of the public Order  Act and also Section 15 of Sokoto State Peace Preservation Law and as  the chief security of the state he had declared with immediate effect a curfew within Sokoto metropolis for the next 24 hours.
He appealed  to the people of Sokoto state to continue to observe law and order.

“Everyone should, please, in the interest of peace go back home and observe this measures, with a view to re-establishing peace, law and order in the state”,  he stated..
He noted that it was not in the interest of anyone to have a breakdown of law and order. “I, therefore, appeal for restraint; and, for people to observe and respect the rule of law”, he said .

At the time of filing this story, military personnel and other security agents had taken over the streets in the city.
According to police sources, some people have been arrested in connection with the killing, but the police public relations officer in the state, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanusi Abubakar declined to mention the number of people arrested. However, it was gathered that as at yesterday two people had been arrested.