Fresh details have surfaced regarding the killing of a food vendor in Niger State following allegations of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.
The victim, identified only as Ammaye, was lynched and burnt by youths in Kasuwan Garba, Mariga Local Government Area, after a heated exchange of words with her nephew reportedly escalated into claims of blasphemy.
Eyewitnesses said the young man jokingly told Ammaye he wished to marry her to “fulfil the Sunnah,” but her response was deemed offensive, sparking outrage. The matter was taken before the District Head, where the woman allegedly repeated her earlier comments.
Although the District Head reportedly handed her over to security personnel for further investigation, the mob overpowered the operatives and carried out the killing before reinforcements could arrive.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday. Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the event took place on Saturday around 2:00 pm.
According to him, “A report was received that one Amaye, a female resident of Kasuwan-Garba in Mariga LGA, allegedly made some utterances considered offensive to the Islamic faith. Her comments quickly provoked anger among members of the community.
“Unfortunately, it led to a mob attack, and the woman was set ablaze before the reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene.”
He stressed that calm had since been restored, while condemning the killing as an act of jungle justice. Abiodun assured that security operatives were working to identify, arrest, and prosecute those involved.
He added an appeal: “Members of the public should remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands, and allow security agencies to handle sensitive matters in line with the provisions of the law.”
Also confirming the incident, the Chairman of Mariga Local Government, Abbas Adamu, noted that order had returned to the community.
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