The parents of the late Deborah Samuel of Shagari College of Education Sokoto, Sokoto State, have described their daughter’s murder as tragic and terrible, and have said they have left her killers to God.
Deborah’s ashes were laid to rest Saturday evening in her village of Tungan Magajiya in Niger State’s Rijau Local Government Area.
Her classmates stoned her to death and set her fire on Thursday for reportedly making a derogatory comment about Prophet Mohammed in a WhatsApp group.
In response to their daughter’s death, the heartbroken parents stated that they had nothing to say or do about their child’s death and have opted to put everything in God’s hands.
Mr. Emmanuel Garba, a security employee of the Niger State Water Works Cooperation at Tungan-Magajiya, told Daily Post, “we can say or do anything, except to take it easy as an act of God. We have left all to God, we have decided to take it like that”.
When asked who brought his deceased daughter’s body back from Sokoto State, the father answered that he himself went and carried her remains back to be buried.
“I personally went and brought back the body of my daughter to enable me to bury my own child. This is because keeping her in the morgue will not return her back.
“When I got there, I met government officials and made them understand the need to allow me take her back home and they agreed with me. When we got to the morgue, those in charge asked me to sign the necessary documents and I did. They released the corpse to me.”
On who paid for the transportation, Garba, “I personally, paid the sum of N120,000 to the driver out of many that refused to convey her back home and it is because of the condition of the remains. Most drivers we approached all refused except one.”
Confirming the call by the Sokoto State Government that the body of his daughter should not be returned home, the father of the deceased stated, “the government wanted me to leave the remains, when they called me, I said no, they should allow me to please, bury my daughter.”
Also, the mother, Mrs. Alheri Emmanuel, told newsmen that Deborah was the second of the seven children, adding that it’s so sad to have lost her at such a young age, whom they were relying on to help support them in the future.
On her medical condition, the mother of the deceased explained that she is stable now and discharged from the hospital, where she was admitted upon hearing the news of the gruesome murder of her daughter.
Amid tears, Mrs. Alheri stated,“I have nothing to say, I am grateful to God and for your efforts. I have given God my heart and may God strengthen me. We have nothing to say.
“Because of what happened to me, I will no longer send my children to schools where so much money is involved. Because of her education, the education of some of her siblings suffered as it is so difficult to care for them all at the same time. And, now things are difficult for us”.
Also, her elder brother, Nakaka Garba, when asked for his reaction, he simply stated, “I have nothing to say, we are pained by what happened, but we have left all to God.”
On why their daughter answered Deborah ‘Samuel’ instead of ‘Garba’, the father further added, “she has been living with my brother since she was in primary school and had been using the name”.