The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has expressed profound outrage and moral indignation over the lynching of Ummulkhairi, a Muslim woman, teacher, wife, and mother of four, who was falsely accused of child kidnapping and murdered in cold blood by a mob in Maraban Jos, Kaduna State.
Disu Kamor, Executive Chairman,
Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, in a press statement on Tuesday said “This was not justice. This was not community protection. This was organised savagery enabled by rumour, fear, and institutional failure.
”Ummulkhairi was taken from lawful custody on the basis of unverified allegations, stripped of her dignity, denied due process, and brutally killed in circumstances that expose a dangerous collapse of civic order. Her death represents a gross violation of every principle of law, humanity, and constitutional protection.
”MPAC states without ambiguity: no allegation- no matter how sensitive- justifies mob execution. A society that permits suspicion to override law is a society sliding into anarchy.
We are further alarmed by conflicting accounts surrounding the role of law enforcement in the final moments of her detention.”
MPAC added that “While official statements deny complicity, credible narratives circulating publicly raise disturbing questions that cannot be ignored. MPAC therefore calls for a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the conduct of all security personnel and community actors involved, including the precise chain of custody that led to her death.
”The killing of Ummulkhairi is not an isolated incident. It is part of a worsening pattern where rumours rapidly mutate into violence, and where accused persons are denied the protection of institutions mandated to uphold justice. This culture of instant punishment is a direct threat to national stability.
”We remind all authorities: the legitimacy of the state is measured by its ability to protect the innocent- even when they are unpopular, accused, or misunderstood.”
The group said “Accordingly, MPAC demands the following without delay:
- The immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of all individuals directly or indirectly involved in the lynching and burning of Ummulkhairi;
- A credible and independent investigation into the actions and omissions of law enforcement officers on duty at the time of the incident;
- Public disclosure of findings to ensure transparency and restore public confidence;
- Protection, welfare support, and restitution for the bereaved family, particularly her four children now left behind in trauma and loss;
- Urgent state-led action to confront the rising scourge of mob justice, misinformation-fuelled violence, and unlawful detention practices.
”MPAC warns that silence, delay, or cosmetic responses will only deepen public mistrust and embolden further acts of brutality. When citizens begin to believe that accusations equal guilt and mobs equal courts, the foundations of justice have already been undermined.
”Her death is a test of conscience for our society, our institutions, and our leaders. That test must not be failed.
”Justice for Ummulkhairi must be decisive, visible, and uncompromising.”