Mob Burns Suspected Child Kidnapper Alive In Delta State
By AUGUSTINA McSOLOMON-OGHAKPERUO
TENSION gripped Agbarho community in Ughelli North, Delta State, on Wednesday after an angry mob lynched and set ablaze a woman accused of attempting to abduct a 7-year-old boy.
Eyewitnesses said the woman, allegedly from nearby Ughelli town, was caught in the act before residents dragged her into the street, beat her severely, and ignored pleas to hand her over to security agencies. Instead, the crowd doused her with fuel and set her on fire.
The mob action comes just days after women and residents staged a protest in Agbarho over a surge in child abductions. The protesters had warned authorities that patience was running out and demanded urgent intervention.
“This is our reality—our children are no longer safe. Fear and anger boiled over today,” one resident told reporters, insisting that recent warnings had gone unheeded.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents’ Chapel, had earlier condemned rising cases of child theft in Urhobo communities, urging security agencies and the Delta State Government to stem the tide.
As of press time, security operatives had yet to arrive at the scene, and the body of the lynched suspect remained on the street. Police spokesperson Bright Edafe did not immediately respond to calls or messages seeking comment.