Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested six suspects in connection with the brutal mob killing of two innocent travellers who were falsely accused of being thieves in Gidan Kalu Village, Birnin Yero, near Maraban Jos, in an incident that has once again exposed the deadly consequences of jungle justice in Nigeria's North-West. The victims, identified as Muhammadu Sani, 45, and Aliyu Mohammed, 40, both from Umar Village in Igabi Local Government Area, were travelling on a motorcycle to Tudun Wada, Zaria, on 1 July 2026, to visit a sick uncle when their journey turned into a death trap. According to the police, residents of Gidan Kalu Village became suspicious after seeing the pair riding a new motorcycle and raised an alarm, shouting "thieves!". Fearing for their lives, the two men abandoned the motorcycle and fled, but they were pursued by an angry mob that caught up with them and beat them to death.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, the command revealed that the victims pleaded for their lives and insisted they were not thieves, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. In a particularly disturbing twist, some members of the mob reportedly knew the victims personally, yet they still proceeded with the brutal attack. "Some of the assailants reportedly even knew them," the police spokesperson said. Upon receiving the report, police operatives from the Birnin Yero Division swung into action and arrested Abdullahi Mukailu Kigo and five others in connection with the killing. The suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime and are currently in police custody. Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other persons who participated in the unlawful killing.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, CP Rabiu Muhammad, condemned the mob action, describing it as unlawful, barbaric, and unacceptable. He vowed that all those found culpable, irrespective of their status, would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. "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. The CP warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands based on mere allegations, stressing that anyone who engages in jungle justice would be arrested and made to face the full weight of the law. He emphasised that no individual has the right to assume the role of investigator, judge, and executioner, and reminded residents that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The latest lynching occurred barely two weeks after a similar tragedy in the same local government area. On 21 June 2026, a female Islamic teacher, Ummulkhairi Usman Aliyu, a mother of four, was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob at Maraban Jos after she was falsely accused of attempting to steal children while on her way to an Islamic lecture. The situation escalated when hundreds of angry youths besieged the police station where she had been taken for safety and overpowered officers before setting her ablaze. The police later arraigned 24 suspects over that killing, with the case adjourned until 21 July 2026. The recurrence of such violence, just kilometres from the scene of the previous tragedy, has heightened concerns over the persistence of jungle justice despite repeated warnings by security agencies.
Human rights groups and legal experts have consistently cautioned that unlawful mob killings undermine the criminal justice system and often claim the lives of innocent people. The police have reiterated that allegations of criminality should be reported to security agencies for proper investigation and prosecution rather than handled by angry mobs. The Kaduna State Government has also condemned the incident, with Governor Uba Sani previously visiting the family of the slain Islamic teacher and pledging support. As the investigation continues and the six suspects await prosecution, the tragedy of Gidan Kalu Village serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of mob justice and the urgent need for citizens to trust the legal system rather than take the law into their own hands.
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