Palpable tensions erupted in some parts of Sokoto State as irate citizens took to the streets to protest the arrest of suspects in the murder of Deborah Samuel for suspected blasphemy.
Deborah, a 200-level student at Sokoto's Sheri Shagari College of Education, was brutally murdered by her classmates, who accused her of uttering derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
The demonstrators held posters that read, among other things, "Release our Muslim Brothers" and "Muslims Are Not Terrorists," according to the Daily Trust.
Security officers were deployed to critical locations in the vicinity, including the Sultan of Sokoto's Palace, in advance of the protests to prevent any breakdown of the peace.
The demonstration comes only hours after the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, met with religious leaders to try to calm the situation.
It all began when the deceased student sent a voice message to the school WhatsApp group, urging his classmates to refrain from flooding the platform with religious posts.
Deborah, a Christian from Kebbi state, was later accused of disrespecting Prophet Muhammad by her friends, who attacked her on the school grounds.
"The college security personnel had to intervene by whisking her to their office," a source told the newspaper, "but they were swamped by students, who later killed her and set her body ablaze."
Many Nigerians have expressed their displeasure with the situation on social media.