Nigerian Christians organized a nationwide commemoration on Sunday for a student who was slain in northern Sokoto state earlier this month on blasphemy charges. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the demonstration for Deborah Yakubu on Sunday was a reminder of the country's many dangers to religious freedom.

The Christian Association of Nigeria stated late Saturday that it will stage a silent march and prayer sessions for Deborah Yakubu in several churches. Officials further indicated that the planned protest had been met with opposition from some state officials, who had imposed restrictions on protests.

The group was particularly concerned about safety when it was reported that some Muslim organisations had threatened to conduct a counter-protest.

However, many churches across the country followed the CAN's directive. On the streets near their parishes, only a few people of some churches marched.

"Every local church had that event today in honor of Deborah, and they prayed for the nation, prayed for the church in Nigeria," Bayo Oladeji, a Christian Association of Nigeria representative, said. "We don't want to get into an argument with the government." Some Muslim fundamentalists made a statement indicating that they, too, intended to protest today, but that they didn't want a situation where they were targeting and hurting our people.

Deborah Yakubu was a student at Sokoto state's Shehu Shagari College of Education. Students attacked her, stoned her, and set fire to her corpse on May 12 after accusing her of uttering obscene remarks about the Prophet Mohammed in an online classroom group.

Yakubu is said to have warned her Muslim colleagues not to send religious messages on the WhatsApp group discussion.

The assassination of the student was condemned by Nigerian officials, including President Mohammadu Buhari, a Muslim.

Nigerian Christians, according to Oladeji, are frequently targeted and attacked because of their faith.

"We believe the church in Nigeria is under attack; we believe the church in Nigeria is being persecuted," she said. "Those who were reportedly detained because of Deborah's terrible death were just tried for inciting public disturbance," she added.

Two suspects in Yakubu's death were arraigned in court last week.

Authorities in Sokoto state removed a curfew imposed last week following protests in the state demanding the release of the two accused.

Blasphemy is illegal in Nigeria under both secular and Islamic law, known as Sharia. Human rights organizations have petitioned the government to remove blasphemy from the constitution.

Martin Obono, a human rights lawyer, began the petition.

"We need to get to the point where Nigeria needs to decide whether we're a secular state or we're a religious state because you do not now declare under Section 10 of the constitution that people have the rights and freedom of thoughts and religion,” Obono said. “If I express my thoughts about a particular religion, I shouldn't be criminalized for that.”

Last November, the United States removed Nigeria from its list of countries of particular concern over religious freedom violations.