SOKOTO, NIGERIA — On the third anniversary of the brutal murder of Deborah Emmanuel, a 22-year-old Christian woman beaten to death by a radical Muslim mob, three Nigerian journalists have been detained by the country’s Department of State Services (DSS) for publishing new eyewitness accounts that contradict the official narrative.
The reporters, associated with TruthNigeria, were held for four hours after publishing a deeply personal and disturbing account of Deborah’s final moments—an account that challenges the Nigerian government’s repeated claims that law enforcement tried to save her.
A Murder Ignored, A Press Silenced
Deborah Emmanuel was targeted in May 2022 after thanking Jesus in a class group chat for her academic success. Muslim classmates accused her of insulting the Prophet Mohammed. The next morning, she was dragged from her dorm at Shehu Shagari College, stoned, beaten, and burned to death, as police stood by and did nothing.
According to new reporting, Asabe Sabitu Kdada, Deborah’s cousin and fellow student, was with her in a small utility room for hours as the mob attacked. She survived, and now she’s telling the truth:
“Deborah didn’t insult anyone,” Asabe said. “She died because she was a Christian girl in a place where that is a crime.”
A Government That Doesn’t Care
There have been no arrests, no trials, and no official apology from the Nigerian government. Despite 17 armed federal police being stationed just 80 yards away, eyewitnesses confirm that officers refused to intervene as Deborah was lynched.
“No Nigerian court has tried the murderers,” said journalist Douglas Burton, who’s been investigating the case. “The government has yet to apologize or offer reparations.”
Instead of pursuing justice, Nigerian authorities are now going after the truth-tellers. The journalists who published these new accounts were treated like criminals—a chilling warning to anyone daring to expose religious persecution in Nigeria.
A Systematic War on Christians
Deborah’s death is not an isolated tragedy. According to the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa, over 55,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria over the past four years. That’s an average of 17 per day, many at the hands of jihadist militias or Fulani extremists, often with no legal consequences.
“While Christian communities are being slaughtered, those who report the facts are being silenced,” said Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted and director at TruthNigeria.
Global Silence Is Complicity
Despite the staggering toll, the international community remains largely indifferent. The Biden administration removed Nigeria from the U.S. list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations in 2021—a move widely criticized by human rights groups.
“The world must not turn away,” Saul urged. “Deborah Emmanuel was a young woman with a dream to serve her country. She was murdered because of her faith. That demands accountability.”
Truth Must Be Told
While the Nigerian government covers up the murder of its own citizens, organizations like TruthNigeria.com and Equipping the Persecuted continue to shine a light on the darkness—delivering aid, training, and truth to Christian communities under siege.
Deborah Emmanuel’s story is no longer just a tragic headline—it is a rallying cry for justice, for press freedom, and for the millions of persecuted Christians across Africa who refuse to be silent, even when speaking the truth means risking their lives.
