A violent mob in Sokupkpan community, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, has lynched the Chief Imam of the area, Mallam Abdullahi Audu, over allegations that he was spiritually responsible for the death of a resident, Ibrahim Gana.

Witnesses said the incident, which occurred on Wednesday, threw the entire community into confusion and panic.

The mob action was reportedly triggered by suspicions that the cleric had used spiritual means to harm the deceased.

According to sources, before his death, Gana had been battling an undisclosed illness and repeatedly claimed that the Chief Imam was tormenting him in his dreams.

He allegedly told friends and family that the cleric was the spiritual cause of his worsening condition.

“As his health got worse, people started believing his claims. When he eventually died, some angry youths concluded that the Imam was responsible,” a community source said.

On Wednesday, tension boiled over as the deceased brothers, Mohammed Shaba, Mamudu Gana, and Ndakpotun Issa, mobilized others to confront the Chief Imam.

Despite efforts by a few elders to calm the situation, the mob allegedly attacked the cleric, beating him to death in the process.

“They descended on the Imam, accusing him of killing Gana through witchcraft. They refused to listen to anyone who tried to stop them,” another source said.

The police from the Tsaragi Division were said to have arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and arrested some suspects believed to have spearheaded the attack.

The spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust on Thursday, described the act as a “brutal homicide.”

She said preliminary investigation revealed that following the death of 25-year-old Gana on November 4, his brothers, Mohammed Shaba and Mahmud Gana, accused the Chief Imam of causing his death and mobilised others to lynch him.

According to her, “Four suspects have been arrested, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend others involved”.

She said the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, condemned the act and warned residents against resorting to jungle justice.

“Such behaviour remains a criminal offence punishable under the law.

“The public should report any suspicion of crime to the nearest police station rather than taking the law into their own hands.

“But investigations are ongoing to ensure that all perpetrators of the crime are brought to justice”, she added.

The remains of the slain Chief Imam have been laid to rest in the community in accordance with Islamic rites. (Daily Trust)