FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOKOTO, NIGERIA – May 12, 2025 —Today marks the third anniversary of the brutal murder of Deborah Emmanuel, a Christian college student stoned and burned to death by a mob of her classmates at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto. Equipping the Persecuted and TruthNigeria.com are calling on the international community to remember Deborah—and to confront the ongoing wave of religiously motivated violence plaguing Nigeria’s Christian communities.
Deborah’s cousin, Asabe Kdada Sabitu, was with her moments before the killing. In an exclusive interview with TruthNigeria, Asabe shared the harrowing details of the final hours they spent together. “She wasn’t crying. She was quiet,” Asabe recalled. “Her last words to me were, ‘What time is it?’ She was planning to take her exam that day. Instead, she was murdered for her faith.”
Since Deborah’s death, no significant legal action has been taken against those responsible. Eye-witness accounts state that up to 50 police officers stood by as the mob acted. Despite national and international outrage, justice remains elusive. Weeks after the murder, two men were tried for disturbing the peace but acquitted.
Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted and executive director of TruthNigeria, emphasized the importance of remembering Deborah’s story:
> “Three years have passed, and the silence is deafening. Deborah Emmanuel was not just a victim—she was a young woman with a future, a dream to serve her country as a police officer, and a fearless witness for Christ. The world must not turn away. The persecution of Christians in Nigeria is real, it is intensifying, and it demands action. We call on people of conscience—governments, churches, human rights organizations—to break the silence and stand up for those being targeted for their faith.”
Douglas Burton, managing editor of TruthNigeria, asks: “Is it Time for Nigeria to come clean on its problem of Christian genocide?”
> “After three years, the blood of Deborah Emmanual calls to the heart of a just God and marks an indelible stain on the reputation of State authorities in Sokoto and Nigeria as a whole. A nation that cannot identify and prosecute her murderers will never find peace – or dignity in any hall of nations.”
Equipping the Persecuted continues to provide emergency aid, trauma support, and security training for Christians under attack across Nigeria. Meanwhile, TruthNigeria.com is committed to exposing the truth about religious persecution, including firsthand accounts like Asabe’s.
Deborah’s story is a symbol of a larger crisis—a crisis that cannot be ignored.
To schedule a media interview about these new updates in the Deborah Emmanuel story, please contact [email protected]
