The Sultan of Sokoto's Palace was besieged on Saturday by teenagers seeking the release of Deborah Samuel's accused killers.
Deborah Yakubu, the student, was killed in a mob attack, prompting the state government to shut down the school and police to announce the arrest of two people in connection with the crime.
The protests were sparked by Deborah, a student at Sokoto's Shehu Shagari College of Education, allegedly making a religious blasphemy against Islam on social media.
While demonstrators flung stones and attempted to burn down the palace, a combined security team commanded by State Police Commissioner Mr Kamaludden Okunlola was dispatched to the palace.
All religious institutions were also heavily guarded.
Meanwhile, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal declared a 24-hour curfew on Saturday to quell increasing protests across township streets over alleged religious blasphemy.
In a broadcast, Tambuwal urged residents to stay home while security personnel were sent to protect lives and property.
I now announce a curfew throughout (Sokoto) metropolis for the next 24 hours, using the authority given on me by sections 176(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, sections 1 and 4 of the Public Order Act, and Section 15 of the Sokoto State Peace Preservation Law," Tambuwal said.
He also urged the people of the state to maintain law and order and to tone down the unrest that is now sweeping the city.
In the interest of peace, everyone should return home and follow these steps to restore peace, law, and order in the state.
"Having a breakdown of law and order is not in anyone's best interests." As a result, I implore people to exercise restraint and to observe and respect the rule of law," he stated.
According to a NAN correspondent who walked the streets, groups of young people have taken over the streets, shouting songs and pleading with security agents to release the jailed people.
Protesters set fire to tyres on Ahmadu Bello Way, Emir Yahaya Road, Kanwuri, and other streets, causing businesses to close in the middle of the day and leaving most streets deserted.