“We spent all our money on her education. Now, all is wasted” -Deborah Samuel’s mother
The parents of the late Deborah Samuel of Shagari College of Education Sokoto, Sokoto State have described the death of their daughter as a colossal waste and a nightmare.
Deborah Samuel was killed by some of her mates who accused her of blaspheming Prophet Mohammed on Thursday morning.
Her burnt remains were laid to rest in her hometown, Tungan Magajiya in Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday evening.
In a chat with Daily Post, the mother Mrs. Alheri Emmanuel, said Deborah was the second of the seven children, adding that the family was putting their hope on her to for their future.
Mrs Emmanuel who was just released from hospital bed where she had been since the news knocked her down, said:
“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”.
The father equally said they had left everything to God.
Mr. Emmanuel Garba, security personnel with the Niger State Water Works Corporation at Tungan-Magajiya said, “We can’t 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”.
The father said he was responsible for bringing the corpse home for burial.
“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 to 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, he said, “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.”
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”.
