Kaduna Mob Killing: Family Recounts Last Moments of Teacher Burnt Over False Child Theft Claim

Kaduna Mob Killing: Family Recounts Last Moments of Teacher Burnt Over False Child Theft Claim

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 in a heart-wrenching account that has sparked national outrage and a demand for justice. The deceased, a mother of four, was on her way to attend an Islamic lecture on Sunday afternoon when some residents accused her of attempting to steal children. 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. Despite efforts by security personnel to restore order, the mob eventually overpowered the officers and set her ablaze. The Kaduna State Police Command described the killing as “barbaric, criminal, and a direct assault on the rule of law.”

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, saying, “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.” 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, and soldiers were also sighted at the station keeping vigilance.

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 and rushed to the scene on his motorcycle. He explained, “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.” 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 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, stating, “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.”

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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 and that she had been his student for many years. According to the cleric, Ummulkhair left home intending to attend his preaching session at another school but did not know the exact location. “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. “She had no child with her. If she had kidnapped children, where are the parents of those children?” he asked. “I also went there to tell them she was not a thief, but they took my motorcycle, placed it on her, and burned both of them. She left behind four children: two boys and two girls. This is pure injustice,” he added.

The victim’s husband, Aliyu Mohammed, said he was devastated by the loss of his wife, whom he described as peaceful and God-fearing. Mohammed said he was at work when he received a call alleging that his wife had been caught attempting to kidnap children, and by the time he arrived, they had already burnt her. He recalled that before she left home, she had told him she was going for her studies, and “I wished her safe return.” The grieving husband said with her death, he will now be left to take care of his children alone. “What pains me most now is that I am left alone with the children. Whenever I look at them, I cry. Last night, our youngest child, who is four years old, kept asking why her mother had not come home, and I could only try to comfort her,” he added.

Serious questions are now being raised regarding the conduct of the police during the attack. The victim’s sister-in-law, Zainab Aliyu, who was inside the station with Ummulkhair, alleged that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) led the victim out of the station despite her explicit warning. “When we got near the gate, I warned the DPO that the crowd would kill her if he took her outside. Another officer pushed me aside. As soon as they went outside, I followed them to the roadside and tried to pull her away because people had started beating her. Then a police officer dragged me back into the station and told me to leave because the crowd might kill me too,” she recounted.

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Amnesty International condemned the incident, describing it as a horrific act of mob violence, and called for a thorough investigation. “Amnesty International strongly condemns the horrific mob killing of Malama Ummulkhairi at Mararaban Jos community along Kaduna-Zaria highway,” the group said in a statement. The organisation urged authorities to investigate allegations that police officers handed the victim over to the mob, stating that witnesses told them that as a large crowd invaded the police station, officers on duty brought the victim out and handed her to the crowd that killed her and set her body ablaze. According to Amnesty International, the incident reflected a broader failure by authorities to protect lives, lamenting that mob violence is gradually becoming the norm, largely meted out based on suspicion, rumour or hearsay.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, visited the bereaved family and assured them that justice would be served. “We have confirmed that what they accused her of was false, but some bad elements did what they did. God willing, justice will be done,” she assured. Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Police Command has said more than 80 suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansur Hassan, told Daily Trust that arrests were ongoing. “From yesterday (Sunday) to today (Monday), we have arrested over 80 people. They are currently in our custody, and we are doing our best to ensure a thorough investigation. Anyone found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the law. Investigation has already shown that the victim was wrongly accused,” he said. Hassan also explained that access to the police station became difficult after protesters blocked major roads leading to the division, making it difficult for reinforcement teams to reach the area. The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, CP Rabiu Muhammad, warned against jungle justice and mob violence, describing such acts as a threat to public order and justice.

A human rights activist and lawyer, Hamza N. Dantani, Esq., has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, demanding an independent investigation into the allegation that police officers handed the deceased to the mob. In the petition shared on social media, Dantani described the allegation as a possible violation of constitutional rights and police duties, stating that once a suspect is taken into police custody, the Nigeria Police Force assumes a legal duty of care and responsibility for the safety and protection of that individual. The lawyer called for the interrogation of all officers on duty, preservation of evidence and prosecution of anyone found culpable, insisting that “justice must not only be done but must manifestly be seen to be done.”

Kaduna Mob Killing: Family Recounts Last Moments of Teacher Burnt Over False Child Theft Claim