The family of Malama Ummulkhair, an Islamiyya school teacher who was lynched and burnt by a mob on a false accusation of child stealing in Maraban Jos, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has recounted her final moments.
Some residents had accused Ummukhair, a mother of four, of attempting to steal children while on her way to attend an Islamic lecture on Sunday afternoon.
The allegation quickly spread, drawing a large crowd that attacked her before security operatives intervened and took 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 she be handed over to them. It was learnt that despite efforts by security personnel to restore order, the mob eventually overpowered the officers and set her ablaze.
Witnesses said police officers fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. One youth was reportedly shot and several others sustained injuries during the unrest along Kaduna-Zaria highway. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as disturbing.
“It is troubling that an allegation alone could lead to such a tragedy. She was reportedly on her way to an Islamic lesson when she was accused. Even after she was taken to the police station, the mob still went there and burned her,” he said.
Another resident attributed the violence to growing fears over alleged child theft cases in the area. Our correspondent, who visited the community on Monday, reported that police vehicles were stationed in front of the police station. Soldiers were also sighted at the station keeping vigilance.
How she was mobbed – Village head
The Village Head of New Maraban Jos, Suleiman Isa, who participated in the effort to rescue the victim, said he received a distress call from Ummulkhair’s husband.
“A friend of mine, who is the husband of the woman, called me and told me what was happening. People accused her of stealing children while she was on her way to an Islamic school to attend a preaching session,” he said.
Isa explained that he rushed to the scene on his motorcycle to rescue her and contacted the police.
“I managed to enter the place where she was being held. We then called the police because a large crowd had gathered. When the police arrived, we were able to take her to the police station,” he stated.
The village head said Ummulkhair begged him to get her water, but he could not do so during the ensuing chaos. He said all entreaties by him and the victim’s Islamic teacher to the crowd to allow the law take its course fell on deaf ears.
“I was with her Islamic teacher, who also came to the police station to plead with the crowd and explain that the woman was not a child thief, but the people refused to listen.”
“I later went back into the police station through the back door where she had been sitting, but she was no longer there. When I came outside again, I found that she had been killed,” he added.
While acknowledging concerns over missing children in the area, Isa condemned mob action.
The victim’s Islamic teacher and cleric, Umar Yusuf, whose motorcycle was burnt while trying to rescue her from the mob
“There have been cases of missing children in our area. Even now, a friend’s children are still missing. That is why people reacted the way they did. However, taking the law into one’s own hands is wrong,” he said.
Chairman of the Council of Imams in Maraban Jos, Imam Umar Yusuf, whose motorcycle was also burnt during the attack, insisted that the deceased was innocent.
“The woman was my student, and I had known her for many years. Yesterday (Sunday), she left home intending to come to where I was preaching at another school in Old Maraban Jos.
“She did not know the exact location, so she asked some children for directions. The children became frightened and started shouting that she was a child kidnapper,” he said.
The cleric dismissed claims that she had abducted any child, noting anyone who claimed they saw her carrying children in a sack was lying.
already shown that the victim was wrongly accused.”
Hassan also explained that access to the police station became difficult after protesters blocked major roads leading to the division.
“When the mob began the protest, they blocked all major access roads, making it difficult for reinforcement teams to reach the area,” he added.
He maintained that officers acted professionally despite the challenges and vowed that those responsible for the killing would face justice.
“The command will not allow such behaviour to continue and whoever is arrested will face the wrath of the law,” he said. (Daily Trust)
