May 12, 2023

Dear all,

May 12th marks the 1-year anniversary since the execution and brutal murder of Deborah Emmanuel* by her own classmates.

The male classmates of Deborah filmed as they stoned Deborah to death and set her on fire because they accused her of committing blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad.

Eyewitnesses explained there were police surrounding the area but they did not intervene and made no arrests.

Since the anniversary of Deborah’s death only two people have been arrested, and that was under bailable offenses. The two men have since been released.

At the same time, on May 20th 2022, authorities in Bauchi state arrested Rhoda Jatau for sharing a video on Whatsapp condemning the lynching of Deborah.

Read more about Deborah here:

Deborah Yakubu: Know Her Name

• Eyewitness details brutal ‘blasphemy murder’ of Nigerian Christian studen

• The Persecuted Church in Nigeria with Conflict Repoрter Doug Burton

Nigeria: Authorities must arrest the attackers of the female student killed on alleged blasphemy

How can I help?

 

• Send a letter to the Nigerian Embassy and/or our Representative in parliament.Sample Letter
• Take a picture outside your postbox or outside the Nigerian Embassy.
• Tag @MBuhari on Twitter and the Foreign Minister of your home country.You can use the following hashtags:#JusticeforDeborah2023#JusticeforDeborah
  #FreeRhoda
  #endblasphemylaws
  #nodeathpenalty
• Share her story on social media.
• Call for the end of anti-apostasy and blasphemy laws
• Here is a previous article you can retweet:

Deborah Yakubu: Know Her Name

• Sample tweet:

It is approaching 1 year since @AmnestyNigeria @AgnesCallamard condemned the horrific lynching of uni student Deborah Yakubu and called for the attackers to be arrested.

A year on and the Nigerian authorities have not held the perpetrators accountable. https://t.co/UwgzPdpAAX

— Jubilee Campaign USA (@JubileeC) May 9, 2023

For the US

• Support H. Res 82

For the EU

• Flag the adoption of the EU parliament resolution

__________________________
* Due to inaccurate reporting at the time of her murder, Deborah Emmanuel is also known as Deborah Yakubu, or Deborah Samuel. Some believe her name may have been intentionally falsely reported by authorities or the media in Nigeria and elsewhere in order to conceal her Christian name. Nonetheless her name, as confirmed by family, is Deborah Emmanuel and we will not forget her.