POLICE RESCUE WOMAN FROM MOB LYNCHING OVER FALSE CHILD ABDUCTION ACCUSATION IN PORT HARCOURT
Read Time:2 Minute, 4 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
Operatives of the Azikiwe Police Division in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have rescued a woman identified as Maria Kobara from a mob attack after she was falsely accused of attempting to abduct a 12-year-old girl along Owo Street in Mile 2, Diobu.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, June 13, when the woman was accosted by residents who alleged she was trying to steal the child while taking her to church.
An eyewitness, Mr. Nelson Ogiriya, said he came across a large crowd gathered on the street and stopped to find out what was happening.
He explained that the situation escalated quickly, but for the prompt intervention of the police, the woman would have been lynched by the angry mob.
According to him, the woman had explained that the child’s mother had asked her to take the girl to a church on Eagle Island, but she was not initially believed.
He added that confusion deepened when another woman challenged her and contacted the child’s father, who in turn reached out to his wife for clarification.
“The mother confirmed that she had indeed sent the child with the woman, but before the confirmation came, some people had already started beating her,” he said.
The eyewitness added that police officers arrived at the scene during the assault and evacuated all parties involved to the station.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said operatives of the Azikiwe Division rescued the woman from being lynched by the mob.
She explained that preliminary investigations showed the alarm was raised by a relative of the child’s father, which attracted residents to the scene.
According to her, the mob ignored explanations from the woman that she had the consent of the child’s mother.
“The woman was being physically assaulted by the mob, who accused her of attempting to steal the child when our officers arrived and rescued her,” she said.
She further stated that the child’s mother later confirmed she had entrusted the woman with her daughter to take her to church for an assignment at Eagle Island.
SP Iringe-Koko condemned the act of mob justice, warning residents against taking the law into their own hands.
She stressed that individuals involved in jungle justice would be made to face the full weight of the law, urging the public to always report suspicious situations to the police for proper investigation.
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