Remembering Mrs Christianah Oluwasesin, Killed in Gombe School Mob Attack

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Mrs Christianah Oluwatoyin Oluwasesin, a 30-year-old secondary school teacher and mother of two, was lynched on March 21, 2007, at a school in Gandu, Gombe State, North-East Nigeria, following allegations of desecrating the Qur’an.

According to accounts, Mrs Oluwasesin was supervising an Islamic Religious Knowledge examination when she prevented a female student from entering the hall with a bag and asked that it be left outside. The student reportedly claimed that a Qur’an was inside the bag, triggering protests that quickly escalated among students.

As tensions rose, Mrs Oluwasesin sought refuge in the school principal’s office. However, the incident spread beyond the classroom, drawing in students from other classes and members of the surrounding community after rumours circulated that a Christian teacher had desecrated the Qur’an. Despite efforts by the school principal to calm the situation, an angry crowd overwhelmed the school.

Mrs Oluwasesin was forcibly removed from the office and attacked by the mob, sustaining fatal injuries. Her body was later set alight in her vehicle. Several school facilities, including classroom blocks, the clinic, administrative offices and the library, were also destroyed. The principal was assaulted while attempting to protect her.

At the time of the incident, Mrs Oluwasesin was a nursing mother. Her infant, who was reportedly in the vehicle, was rescued by a bystander before the violence reached the car.

Those involved in the attack were said to be students aged between 12 and 14, allegedly joined by members of a local gang known as Yan Kalare. In response, then Gombe State Governor Mohammed Danjuma Goje ordered the immediate closure of all secondary schools in the state and deployed security personnel to key locations, including churches.

Three suspects were arrested and arraigned before the Federal High Court in Gombe. However, the case later stalled and the suspects were eventually released.

Mrs Christianah Oluwasesin’s death remains a painful reminder of the consequences of mob violence and religious intolerance.