The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested six suspects following the mob killing of two travellers who were falsely accused of being kidnappers in Gidan Kalu Village, Birnin Yero, near Maraban Jos in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The victims, identified as 45-year-old Muhammadu Sani and 40-year-old Aliyu Mohammed, both from Umar Village in Igabi LGA, were travelling on a motorcycle to Tudun Wada, Zaria, on July 1 to visit their sick uncle when they were attacked.
According to police, residents became suspicious after seeing the men riding a new motorcycle and raised an alarm, accusing them of being thieves. Fearing for their safety, the travellers reportedly abandoned the motorcycle and fled.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the victims tried to explain that they were innocent. Despite this, and although some members of the crowd reportedly recognised them, they were chased, assaulted and beaten to death by an angry mob.
Police operatives from the Birnin Yero Division responded after receiving reports of the incident and arrested six suspects, including Abdullahi Mukailu Kigo. The command said those arrested have admitted to taking part in the attack and remain in custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects linked to the killing.
Condemning the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, described the lynching as unlawful and vowed that everyone involved would face justice.
“The command condemns this act in the strongest terms. All those found culpable, regardless of their status, will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.
Muhammad also cautioned residents against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court. He urged the public to report suspected criminal activities to security agencies instead of resorting to mob action.
The latest incident adds to a growing number of mob attacks in Kaduna State triggered by false accusations amid rising security concerns. Only weeks earlier, Ummulkhairi Usman Aliyu was lynched at Maraban Jos after being wrongly accused of involvement in kidnapping. The incident sparked nationwide outrage, leading Governor Uba Sani to visit the victim’s family and pledge support, while police arrested several suspects.
With the latest killing occurring just a few kilometres from the previous incident, concerns are mounting over the continued prevalence of jungle justice despite repeated warnings from security agencies. Human rights advocates and legal experts have consistently warned that mob violence weakens the justice system and often results in the deaths of innocent people.
The police have again appealed to residents to allow security agencies to investigate allegations of criminal activity and ensure suspects are prosecuted through the legal process rather than through unlawful mob action.
