17th September, 2014
Four people were killed Wednesday in a northwest Nigerian village as a mob went on the rampage after being stopped from lynching a man suspected over a ritual murder.
Villagers in Kamba, in Kebbi state, were about to execute a man from neighbouring Niger who they accused of involvement in the murder of a young girl, police said in a statement.
Police rescued the man, named as Adamu Gaya, and took him into protective custody.
Angry villagers responded by attacking the police station, destroying its communication base, burning two police vehicles and nine motorcycles as well as the official residence of the district police boss.
“In the attack, four persons lost their lives. Eighty-nine persons have been arrested for the violence,” said the statement, which did not say how the four died.
The lynching of suspected criminals, especially thieves, suspected witches and kidnappers is common in Nigeria, where public trust in the police and judiciary is low.