The team of lawyers who
appeared in court on Monday to defend two suspects arrested over the killing of
Deborah Samuel were led by a Professor, Mansur Ibrahim.
The suspects have been arraigned in
court following their arrest last week over their roles in the gruesome murder
of Deborah Samuel who until her death was a student of the Shehu
Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State.
She was stoned to death and
then burnt by her colleagues over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad on
a WhatsApp group.
The suspects – Bilyaminu
Aliyu and Aminu Hukunci were brought before a Sokoto Chief
Magistrate’s Court for their alleged participation in the crime. They pleaded
not guilty when the charges against them were read in court.
The Police prosecutor,
Inspector Khalil Musa told the court that an investigation was in progress on the
matter. He appealed to the court for another date to allow the police to
conclude their investigation.
Prof. Ibrahim who led the defense
team for the suspects, after the presentations did not oppose the move of the
prosecuting lawyer but applied for bail for his clients on liberal grounds.
The trial judge reserved the
ruling on the bail application but ordered the accused to be remanded at the
Sokoto Correctional Center. The court thereafter adjourned the ruling on the
application to a later date which would be communicated to the lawyers.
