Chaos in Keffi: Mob Kills Suspect and Burns Body After Teenager’s Death

A suspected mob action in Keffi, Nasarawa State, has left a man dead after he was accused of involvement in the killing of a teenage boy.

The deceased, identified as Isma’ila Zaria, was reportedly lynched and set on fire by an angry crowd before security operatives could intervene. Zaria had previously worked as a guard at the Keffi Emirate Palace, but palace authorities confirmed he was no longer in their service at the time of the incident.

The teenager, Aliyu Muhammadu Lawal, was found dead in a pit with signs of strangulation, a cut neck, and missing eyes. His father revealed he had previously had disputes with Zaria over alleged noise disturbances but could not confirm a link to his son’s death.

Police sources said Zaria had been apprehended by a local vigilante group prior to the lynching. However, a crowd reportedly overpowered the vigilantes, vandalized their office, attacked responding police officers, and carried out the killing. Several officers sustained injuries, and police vehicles were damaged.

SP Ramhan Nansel, the Police Public Relations Officer for Nasarawa State, confirmed the incident, stating that calm was eventually restored and the burnt body was evacuated to the General Hospital, Keffi. Investigations into the teenager’s death and the mob action are ongoing.

Yahaya Ladan Shafale, the Kakakin Sarkin Keffi, condemned the incident, calling it unprecedented in the historic town and urging that such violence never recur.