The family of a destitute woman who was mistaken for a kidnapper and subsequently lynched by a mob at Ipata market area, Ilorin, Kwara State on Thursday have demanded justice for her.
The deceased died at the General Hospital, Ilorin from injuries she sustained from the mob attack.
The spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Toun Ejire- Adeyemi, in a statement yesterday confirmed that the woman died in the hospital where her corpse had been deposited.
She said the woman was a destitute and not a kidnapper as believed by the attackers, adding that the police had launched an investigation into the matter.
But the family of the deceased simply identified as Khadijah yesterday requested the state government and security agencies to bring her killers to book.
They claimed that Khadijah had been battling a severe mental illness for decades.
The sister of the deceased narrated how Khadijah had suffered for years, pointing out that their parents had died while struggling to cater for her.
“Despite her condition, Khadijah had children who now remain without their mother,” she said, “She was not a criminal, she was only sick. She battled with brain illness for many years. Sometimes, she would go out to beg for money just to feed herself and her children before returning home. We, her family, tried all we could to support her. It is very painful that people mistook her condition for criminality and ended her life in such a cruel manner.”
They condemned the mob action, describing it as barbaric and unjustifiable, calling on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, President Bola Tinubu and relevant security agencies to intervene and ensure that those behind Khadijah’s killing are arrested and prosecuted.
