The Plateau State Police Command says 18 suspects have been arrested over the mob killing of Inspector Lasare Jeremiah in Bassa Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Alabo Alfred, confirmed the arrests on Saturday, describing the killing as a tragic case of jungle justice sparked by a false alarm.
Jeremiah, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department, had been deployed to arrest a notorious suspect, Audu Abdullahi, in Nyakala community last Wednesday. But in the course of his arrest, Abdullahi allegedly shouted that the officers were motorcycle thieves, drawing an angry mob that pounced on them.
“The police officers were carrying out their civic responsibility when they were attacked by a mob. The suspect raised an alarm, claiming the police officers were motorcycle thieves, which led to the mob attack,” Alfred explained.
According to him, “Yesterday, we made about three arrests, and those three arrested mentioned other names. We have made a good number of other arrests, and in total, about 18 persons have been arrested so far concerning this incident.”
Despite Jeremiah identifying himself as a policeman, the mob beat him and his colleague severely. Jeremiah later died in hospital from his injuries. The suspect, Abdullahi, was also lynched by the mob when they discovered he had lied.
“The officers went out on normal duty and got their suspect, but due to the behavior of the suspect, the invitation turned into an arrest. The mob descended on the officer, despite him identifying himself as a police officer. Unfortunately, the officer sustained severe injuries and later died in the hospital. The mob also attacked the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital,” Alfred said.
He condemned the mob action, stressing that jungle justice has no place in a civilized society. “We should not take the law into our hands. There’s a reason for our establishment. None of those in the mob can claim they don’t know the police station or that they are unaware of the nearby military checkpoint in the area.”
Alfred described Jeremiah as one of the command’s finest. “The loss is big, a loss to his family, the people, and the Nigerian Police,” he said, calling the officer “very professional, hardworking and a brilliant officer.”
