The corpse of Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, who was burnt to death on Thursday for alleged blasphemy, has arrived at Tunga Magajiya in the Rijau local government area of Niger State.
The Nation gathered that Deborah’s mother has been unconscious since she heard of her death while the father has been inconsolable.
The family is in a meeting to determine how the burial will take place.
The Nation learned that when the body was on its way to Niger State, the Sokoto State Government called for it should be returned as the body has become government property.
But her family insisted she would be buried today.
Speaking to The Nation, the Pastor of the family, who is in charge of 1st ECWA in Tunga Magajiya, Pastor Emmanuel Maaji, confirmed the family wants her buried on Saturday.
He said the family is not happy with the way the government is handling the issue with kid gloves.
He disclosed that the body of Deborah was brought in a chartered bus, adding that immediately after the driver dropped the body, he returned to Sokoto.
He said that Deborah had been living with family members in Sokoto since her primary school days, lamenting she died as she did.
“The government only called and said that it is not right for the family to take the body like that without informing them. They said that they shouldn’t bury the body as the body is for the government and not for the family. They asked them to put the body in the mortuary,” Maaji stated.
The brother of Deborah’s father said that he will speak to The Nation later as they are planning the burial and holding meetings.
The CAN Coordinator of the Rijau Local Government area, Reverend Danjuma Doma, confirmed the family and church were preparing for the burial.
“We are preparing for the burial. She will be buried today. We are all here to give the family support. We will update you on the situation as it goes,” he informed.
