The deceased, identified as Isma’ila Zaria, was reportedly lynched and his body set on fire by an angry crowd before security operatives could intervene.
A suspected mob action in Keffi, Nasarawa State, has left a man dead after he was accused of involvement in the killing of a teenage boy whose body was later discovered in a pit at a neighbouring compound.
The deceased, identified as Isma’ila Zaria, was reportedly lynched and his body set on fire by an angry crowd before security operatives could intervene.
Zaria was said to have formerly worked as a guard at the Keffi Emirate Palace but was no longer employed there at the time of the incident.
Sources revealed that members of a local vigilante group had initially apprehended Zaria in connection with the boy’s death.
However, the situation escalated when a mob overpowered the vigilantes, vandalised their office, and carried out the attack.
Police officers who responded to a distress call were also targeted, with some sustaining injuries and vehicles damaged.
The teenage victim, identified as Aliyu Muhammadu Lawal, was found in a pit.
His father, Muhammadu Lawal, said he had previously had a disagreement with Zaria over noise disturbances but could not confirm if it was related to his son’s death.
“I cannot say if our past disagreement is connected to what happened to my son. I leave that to God,” he said.
He described the boy’s body as showing signs of strangulation, with his neck cut and eyes removed.
Yahaya Ladan Shafale, the Kakakin Sarkin Keffi, condemned the killing and clarified that Zaria was no longer attached to the palace. “We condemn this incident, which we have never witnessed in our community. Keffi is a historic town, and we pray such will not happen again,” he stated.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Ramhan Nansel confirmed that the police received a distress call around 12:30 p.m. from Dogara Garba, vigilante commander of Sabon Kasuwa, about the arrest of a suspect linked to the boy’s death. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had already been killed and set ablaze.
“The mob attacked the police too, injuring some officers and damaging vehicles. The Divisional Police Officer later restored calm, evacuated the burnt body to the General Hospital, Keffi, and investigations into both the teenager’s death and the mob action have commenced,” Nansel added.
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