Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Father Matthew Kukah, has debunked the viral posts on social media that his residence has been set on fire in Sokoto.
There has been tension in the State since the killing of Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, over alleged blasphemy.
A Facebook page of the Catholic Broadcast Commission, Nigeria, with over 90,000 followers, made a post earlier in the day that Kukah’s house has been set ablaze by the rioters.
The post read: “Carnage in Sokoto today: Aftermath of violent protest in Sokoto today. Holy Family Catholic Cathedral, Bishop Kukah’s house, and Catholic Pastoral Centre which were built with over N1 billion naira have been burnt down by hoodlums who are protesting the arrest of those who murdered Miss Deborah Yakubu”.
The post has generated over 460 comments, 400 shares and 560 likes. Other Facebook groups and users have circulated the post, while some claimed Kukah was under attack.
Some social media users have shared different posts, including videos and pictures, allegedly from the unrest in the state.
The Police had arrested two persons in connection with the incident. But yesterday, protesters trooped to the streets to demand their immediate release. As the protest was spiraling out of control, Governor Aminu Tambuwal declared a 24-hour curfew.
However, many social media posts said Christians had been attacked while churches had been burnt down.
There were also rumours that Kukah’s residence had been set on fire. However, in a brief chat with newsmen, the cleric denied that his house was burnt down. “No, they did not burn my residence”, he was quoted to have said.
President Muhammadu Buhari had condemned the killing of the student and ordered a probe of the incident.
Tambuwal had earlier met with both Christian and Muslim religious leaders and appealed to them to douse tension.
