* Mother of four dragged from police custody and set ablaze by angry crowd
An Islamiyya teacher and mother of four, Malama Ummulkhair, was brutally lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob in Maraban Jos, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, after being falsely accused of attempting to steal children.
The tragic incident occurred on Sunday as Ummulkhair was reportedly on her way to attend an Islamic lecture when some residents accused her of child stealing, an allegation that quickly spread through the community and triggered mob action.
Witnesses said the Muslim woman was attacked by a crowd before security operatives intervened and rescued her, taking her into protective custody at a nearby police station.
However, the situation later escalated as hundreds of angry youths and residents reportedly besieged the police station and demanded that she be handed over to them.
Residents said the crowd, already agitated by rumours of child theft in the area, refused to disperse despite efforts by security personnel to calm the situation.
The mob eventually overpowered the officers on duty, forcibly removed Malama Ummulkhair from police custody and set her ablaze.
Sources said police officers fired warning shots in an attempt to restore order during the unrest. One youth was reportedly shot while several others sustained injuries in the chaos.
A resident who spoke to our correspondent expressed shock over the incident, insisting that the deceased was simply heading to an Islamic gathering when she was accused.
“It is disturbing that an allegation alone could lead to such a tragedy. She was a married woman with children and was reportedly going for Islamic lessons when she was accused.
“Even after she was taken to the police station, the mob still went there, removed her from custody and burnt her,” he said.
The resident added that the Islamiyyah teacher’s body was still at the scene when he arrived at about 1 p.m.
“This was a case that should have been investigated by the police. Instead, people took the law into their own hands,” he added.
Another youth in the community said residents had become increasingly worried over rumours of child theft, a development he said contributed to heightened suspicion and public anger.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the woman was attacked over what he described as “fictitious allegations of child stealing.”
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer of Maraban Jos received a distress call at about 10 a.m. that a woman was being assaulted by a mob over unverified allegations of child theft.
“The DPO swiftly led officers to the scene, rescued the woman and moved her to the station for safety and investigation.
Despite this, a large crowd later stormed and besieged the police station, overpowered officers on duty, forcibly removed the woman from custody, killed her and set her body ablaze,” Hassan said.
The police described the act as “barbaric, criminal and a direct assault on the rule of law.”
Hassan disclosed that several suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other perpetrators involved in the attack.
“A comprehensive investigation has commenced and all culprits will face the full weight of the law,” he said.
Source: Daily Trust
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