An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been reported dead after being brutally beaten by an angry mob who mistook him for a thief.
The victim, Bashir Jibrin, was pronounced dead by medical personnel at the hospital where he was taken after sustaining multiple injuries inflicted by the mob.
Jibrin, who was in plain clothes at the time of the incident, was reportedly on official duty when he was falsely accused of robbery by the suspect he was attempting to apprehend.
Eyewitnesses told journalists that the incident occurred while the officer was pursuing an armed robber in a bid to arrest him.
However, events took a tragic turn when the suspect suddenly turned on the officer and shouted, “armed robber!”
The alarm immediately drew the attention of nearby traders and shoppers in the busy Shuwarin Market, who, without verifying the claim, descended on the officer and began beating him with sticks, stones, and other objects.
“People didn’t even try to verify. They just descended on him with sticks and stones,” said a trader who asked not to be named.
The tragic event took place around 1:20 p.m. yesterday inside Shuwarin Market, located in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
By the time officers from the nearby Shuwarin Police Division arrived at the scene, the NSCDC officer had already suffered severe injuries.
He was rushed to the General Hospital in Dutse by the Divisional Police Officer and his NSCDC colleagues but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police authorities have confirmed the recovery of the officer’s service pistol at the scene. An investigation into the incident is currently underway to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
