(DDM) – A woman accused of child abduction narrowly escaped death on Thursday morning after being attacked by an angry mob at Ipata Market in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the incident occurred on August 21, 2025, when traders and passersby accused the woman of attempting to kidnap a child within the crowded marketplace.
Eyewitnesses stated that the mob descended on the suspect, beating her to the brink of death before police officers arrived and rescued her.
Initial reports claimed the suspect had been lynched, but updated information confirmed that she survived after being revived and taken to an undisclosed medical facility by law enforcement.
Police sources have yet to release the woman’s identity or provide details about her current medical condition.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that four ATM cards and several documents were allegedly recovered from the suspect, deepening public curiosity about her true intentions.
The incident has generated tension across Ilorin, as locals recall a similar episode three months earlier in which a man was also accused of attempted child abduction but was rescued by police from a mob.
Community members say the repeated cases highlight growing fears over child safety and rising distrust in law enforcement’s ability to prevent kidnappings before mob justice takes over.
COPDEM, the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy, condemned the attempted lynching but urged authorities to conduct a transparent investigation.
“Mob justice cannot replace the rule of law,” COPDEM stated in a press release.
The group stressed that while child abduction is a grave concern, suspects must be properly investigated and prosecuted under due legal processes rather than subjected to instant mob verdicts.
COPDEM further called for increased community awareness, enhanced policing in crowded areas, and tougher penalties for confirmed cases of kidnapping.
Security experts warn that without better preventive measures, such incidents may trigger wider insecurity and erode public confidence in the justice system.
