In Ilorin, Kwara State, residents of the Ipata area were thrown into a state of fear and confusion following an incident in which a woman with mental health challenges, identified as Khadijah, was reportedly lynched by a mob at Ipata Market. The tragic event, which unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, August 21, stemmed from unproven allegations of child abduction circulating within the community.
News of Khadijah’s death sparked swift indignation among affected locals, civil society groups, and her grieving family, who have condemned the act as inhumane and demanded accountability. Community leaders and human rights advocates have described the incident as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by misinformation and mob justice, an issue that continues to threaten the fabric of many Nigerian communities.
Eyewitness recounts how the incident unfolded
Alhaji Nuraini Olowo, a trader at Ipata Market and eyewitness to the incident, shared his account in an interview with local reporters. According to Olowo, Khadijah, who had been seen wandering in and around the market, was accused by some locals of acting suspiciously towards children. When marketgoers confronted her, they allegedly found several ATM cards in her possession. Unable to explain why she had so many cards, she quickly became the subject of intensified suspicion.
“I was in my shop when the alarm was raised. People started shouting, ‘child kidnapper, arrest her!’ Youths in the market and passersby rushed to the scene,” he said.
Olowo recounted, “There was a lot of shouting, and people started gathering. Some claimed to have seen her trying to lure children. When she couldn’t answer their questions and they saw the ATM cards, the situation got out of control.” He noted that Khadijah, who was known in the vicinity for her mental health condition, was not given the opportunity to communicate her struggles or defend herself. “It all happened so fast. This could have been avoided if people knew her background,” he added.
“This was what made people suspect her wrongly. The Imam of the mosque in the market tried to intervene to stop the beating, but the mob was too large. Elders in the market quickly called the police, but unfortunately, she died later at the hospital,” Olowo explained.
Kwara: Khadijah’s family demands justice
In a video statement verified by journalists, members of Khadijah’s family described her as someone battling a severe and chronic mental illness for many years. They stressed that she was a vulnerable individual who should have been shown understanding and compassion, not suspicion and hostility.
A male relative, speaking on behalf of the grieving family, appealed to both the government and security agencies to ensure that those responsible for Khadijah’s death are brought to justice. “We have lost a sister, a mother, and a citizen who needed medical care, not violence,” he said. This call for action has resonated with advocacy groups, who maintain that mob justice is not only unlawful but sets a dangerous precedent for all.
“The Kwara Government should please intervene in Khadijah’s matter. It is saddening our hearts. Khadijah was not a bad person. If this injustice goes unpunished, it will set a bad precedent in the state,” he said.
With tears streaming down her face, Khadijah’s sister recounted the family’s long-standing struggle to care for her. “She was sick for most of her life. We tried to shield her as much as we could. Nobody deserves what happened to her, especially not someone who is mentally ill,” she lamented.
“She was not a criminal; she was only sick. She battled with a brain illness for many years. Our parents died while struggling to take care of her. Sometimes she would go out to beg for money just to feed herself and her children. It is painful that people mistook her condition for criminality and ended her life in such a cruel manner,” she lamented.
The family also pointed out the devastating impact the killing has had on Khadijah’s surviving children. “She was their only parent, and now they are left without any support,” one relative added. They urged society to use this tragic incident as a rallying point to educate people about the dangers of mob action and the need for greater awareness of mental health issues in Nigeria.
Spate of mob attacks raises concern in Ilorin
On the same day, Ilorin witnessed yet another act of mob violence in the Ile-Film area along Emir’s Road. A man accused by locals of attempting to kidnap a child was subjected to a brutal beating by a group of residents before police officers from the Oja Oba Division intervened and rescued him. A video obtained from the scene revealed the suspect in a distressed state while being attended to by medical professionals.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, informed reporters that the quick response of law enforcement spared the man from a deadly assault. “If the police hadn’t arrived when they did, nobody knows what would have happened to him,” the source said. This growing trend of summary justice, often fueled by rumor and distrust of the formal legal system, has alarmed both residents and observers in Kwara State.
Police react, condemn jungle justice
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the lynching of Khadijah, as detailed in an official statement by spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi. The statement clarified that the deceased was simply wandering in the Ipata Market when some members of the public mistakenly identified her as a kidnapper—a suspicion exacerbated by the recent climate of insecurity in many Nigerian communities.
“An irate mob descended on the woman, inflicting serious injuries. Police patrol teams raced to the scene, rescued the victim, and rushed her to the General Hospital, Ilorin. Sadly, doctors confirmed her death due to the injuries sustained,” the police said.
SP Ejire-Adeyemi strongly condemned the resort to mob action, emphasizing that such vigilante practices are not only illegal but also threaten the lives of innocent individuals. “Jungle justice has no place in our society and undermines the rule of law. We urge the public to report suspicions to security agencies and allow due process to take its course,” the statement read. The police command further urged calm among residents and said that investigations had commenced to apprehend all those involved in Khadijah’s death.
“Security challenges cannot be resolved through mob action. Rather, they worsen insecurity and erode public safety,” the statement added.
Legal experts and civil society speak out
Reacting to the disturbing trend, Sulaiman Jubril Hammed, Esq., a legal practitioner based in Kwara, remarked that jungle justice is “an affront to the principles of justice and the Nigerian constitution.” He explained that allegations of crime, regardless of perceived severity, must be investigated lawfully, and suspected individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. “Mob killings undermine the justice system and may lead to wrongful deaths, as we have tragically witnessed in this case,” he stated.
In a statement shared on Friday, he said, “Jungle justice is only pleasant if the victims beaten or lynched are not our relatives. Here is a woman suspected of kidnapping who was apprehended and subjected to mob action yesterday at Ipata Market, Ilorin, here in Kwara State.
“I wonder why people fail to understand that no matter the gravity of suspicion, the Nigerian Constitution and our criminal laws make it clear that every individual is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
“Beyond the law, we must remember that suspects are mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers; they are human beings whose dignity must be preserved until lawful conviction,” the lawyer added.
Local human rights organizations and mental health advocates have joined voices with the legal community, emphasizing the urgent need for public education regarding mental illness and proper channels for reporting suspicions or crimes. Surveys by Nigerian civil society groups suggest that up to 70% of citizens have witnessed or heard about incidents of mob action in their locality, highlighting a deep-seated lack of trust in the country’s law enforcement mechanisms.
Insecurity in Kwara’s hinterland remains a pressing issue
Amid these urban security challenges, communities in Kwara North continue to grapple with violent attacks by criminal gangs. Recent reports indicate another spate of abductions and killings, with terrorists targeting residents of Patigi and Ifelodun local government areas. This surge in violence has persisted even after the much-publicized arrest of notorious bandit leaders such as Mahmud Mohammed Usman, known as Abu Baraa, and his lieutenant Mallam Mamuda.
According to community leaders and local security outfits, the most recent attack occurred over the weekend of August 17 and 18. Testimonies from affected villagers detailed how heavily armed men stormed their settlements, abducting several individuals and inflicting further trauma on residents already reeling from instability.
In a statement to the press, a spokesperson for the Patigi community said, “Despite the arrest of some gang leaders, many of their followers remain active in the bush. Our people are living in fear, and farms are being abandoned. We need urgent government intervention and more visible security presence.” Similar sentiments were echoed by advocacy groups, who call for both increased policing and root-cause interventions—such as poverty alleviation and education—to address insecurity in the region.
Kwara’s struggle with mob justice and persistent banditry is not unique within Nigeria or West Africa. Across the region, communities frequently find themselves caught between slow or under-resourced law enforcement responses and a rising tide of suspicion fueled by insecurity, misinformation, and economic hardship. Experts warn that unless comprehensive reforms are made—including robust mental health support, legal awareness campaigns, and trust-building between citizens and authorities—such tragic incidents may continue unchecked.
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