The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested six suspects over the lynching of two travelers who were mistaken for kidnappers by a mob in Gidan Kalu Village, Birnin Yero, a few kilometers from Maraban Jos in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The victims, identified as Muhammadu Sani, 45, and Aliyu Mohammed, 40, both from Umar Village in Igabi LGA, were reportedly travelling on a motorcycle to Tudun Wada, Zaria, on July 1 to visit their ailing uncle when they were attacked.
According to the police, residents became suspicious after seeing the pair riding a new motorcycle and raised the alarm by shouting “thieves.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the victims abandoned the motorcycle and fled in fear after the accusation.
The statement said that despite explaining that they were not thieves, and although some members of the mob reportedly recognized them, they were chased, attacked and beaten to death.
It read in part, “While passing through Gidan Kalu Village, some unidentified persons allegedly became suspicious after seeing them riding a new motorcycle and began shouting ‘thieves.’
“In fear for their lives, the victims abandoned the motorcycle and fled. They were, however, pursued by an angry mob, brutally attacked and lynched to death despite their explanation that they were not thieves.”
The police said operatives from the Birnin Yero Division responded promptly after receiving the report and arrested six suspects, including one Abdullahi Mukailu Kigo.
According to the command, the suspects have confessed to participating in the attack and are currently in police custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other perpetrators.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, condemned the mob action, describing it as unlawful, barbaric and unacceptable.
He vowed that everyone involved, regardless of status, would be arrested and prosecuted.
“The command condemns the incident in the strongest terms. All those found culpable, irrespective of their status, will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the commissioner said.
Muhammad warned residents against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
He urged members of the public to report suspected criminals to the nearest police station or other security agencies instead of resorting to jungle justice.
The latest incident is the second high-profile mob killing in the Maraban Jos area within weeks, raising fresh concerns over the persistence of jungle justice in Kaduna State despite repeated warnings by security agencies.
It’s been reported that only a few weeks ago, a woman, Ummulkhairi Usman Aliyu, was beaten to death by a mob at Maraban Jos after she was falsely accused of involvement in kidnapping.
The killing sparked nationwide outrage, prompting Governor Uba Sani to visit the bereaved family and pledge support, while the police arrested dozens of suspects in connection with the attack.
The latest lynching, which occurred only a few kilometers from the scene of the earlier incident, has further heightened concerns over the increasing resort to mob justice amid growing public anxiety over insecurity.
Rights groups and legal experts have consistently warned that jungle justice undermines the criminal justice system, denies suspects a fair trial, and often results in the killing of innocent people.
The police reiterated that allegations of criminality should be reported to security agencies for proper investigation and prosecution rather than handled by mobs.
