PORT HARCOURT – Tragedy was averted in Rivers State as operatives of the Azikiwe Police Division rescued a woman, Maria Kobara, from an angry mob that accused her of attempting to steal a 12-year-old girl in Mile 2 Diobu, Port Harcourt.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Owo Street, sparked panic in the area as residents descended on the woman before police intervened and uncovered that the allegation was false.
An eyewitness, Mr. Nelson Ogiriya, told reporters that Kobara was taking the girl to a church on Eagle Island at the request of the child’s mother when another woman confronted her and questioned her relationship with the child.
According to Ogiriya, the situation escalated after the woman contacted the girl’s father, who in turn reached out to his wife for clarification.
He explained that although the child’s mother confirmed that she had authorised Kobara to take her daughter to church, some members of the public had already accused the woman of being a child trafficker and began assaulting her.
“As the confirmation was being sought, some people had already attacked her, accusing her of trying to steal the child. It was during the assault that police officers arrived and rescued her,” Ogiriya said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, said officers attached to the Azikiwe Police Division swiftly responded and saved the woman from mob action.
Agabe disclosed that preliminary investigations showed the confusion started when a relative of the girl’s father raised an alarm, attracting passers-by and residents who wrongly concluded that the woman was abducting the child.
“The mob ignored all explanations by the woman that she knew the child’s mother and that the mother was aware of their movement. She was physically assaulted before our officers arrived and rescued her,” Agabe stated.
She added that at the police station, the girl’s mother confirmed that Kobara was not a child thief but was merely taking the child along while heading to clean a branch of their church on Eagle Island.
The police spokesperson warned residents against taking the law into their hands, stressing that mob action and jungle justice remain criminal offences.
Agabe urged members of the public to report suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation rather than resorting to violence.
She further cautioned that anyone found engaging in mob attacks or extrajudicial punishment would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
