Edith CHUKU
A certain Maria Kobara almost lost her life on Saturday, when she was lynched by an angry mob who accused her of stealing and abducting a 12-year-old child.
The incident which happened at Owo Street, Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt, was confirmed by the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Agabe Kaborlo Blessing.
Kobara was rescued from the mob by operatives of the Azikiwe Police Division.
The victim who was asked by the girl’s mother to take her to church while going for clean up was mistaken by the girl’s paternal relative as a kidnapper.
Narrating the incident, Mr Nelson Ogiriya explained that, “as I was passing, I saw a crowd on Owo Street, so I tried to find out what was happening. I discovered that a woman was taking a 12-year-old girl to church when another woman stopped her and asked who the child was to her.
“The woman explained that the girl’s mother had asked her to take the child to a church on Eagle Island. However, the woman who stopped them called the child’s father, who in turn contacted his wife to confirm whether she had given their daughter to anyone to take to church.
“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 and accusing her of stealing the child.
“It was in the course of the assault that the police arrived and took everyone involved to the station,” he said.
The PPRO told newsmen that “operatives attached to the Azikiwe Police Division rescued the woman from the mob.
“Investigations revealed that a relative of the father of the 12-year-old girl raised an alarm, which attracted passers-by and residents to the scene.
“The mob ignored all explanations made by the woman that she knew the child’s mother and that the mother was aware of their movement.
“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.
“At the station, the child’s mother confirmed that the woman was not a child thief as speculated. Rather, she was on her way to clean a branch of their church on Eagle Island when she was intercepted and falsely accused,” the police spokesperson stated.
Karbolo urged residents to report suspected incidents to the police rather than resorting to extrajudicial actions.
She further warned residents against mob action and jungle justice, stressing that such acts would not be tolerated under any guise by the command.
The state Police spokesperson further assured that the perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.
