A woman has been burnt to death by a mob in Kasuwan-Garba town in Mariga Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.
The woman, a restaurant owner, allegedly made comments considered offensive while interacting with a customer in her establishment.
It was gathered that the customer jokingly proposed marriage to her, citing the tradition of the Prophet, after which she made the alleged blasphemous remarks.
The woman was first taken to the palace of the District Head of Kasuwan-Garba, who then handed her over to security operatives for investigation.
But the mob overwhelmed the security operatives and lynched her, setting her ablaze.
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the incident, saying it has commenced a probe into the matter.
In a statement issued in Minna, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed that the tragic incident occurred on 30th August 2025, at about 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,” Abiodun stated.
He noted that while normalcy has since been restored to the area, the Police Command strongly condemned the act of jungle justice and assured that efforts are underway to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.
The Command’s spokesman appealed to members of the public to 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.
The incident has sparked concerns among residents and human rights advocates over the recurring trend of mob actions in parts of the country, with calls for more proactive measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
