Mob burns woman to death for alleged blasphemy in Nigeria

According to local media reports, the woman has been identified as Amaye.

She was lynched and set ablaze in Kasuwan-Garba town on Saturday, media reports said.

The victim, a food vendor, was accused of making the unwanted remarks at her restaurant after a customer jokingly expressed interest in marrying her, citing the tradition of the Prophet, Daily Post reported.

Chairman of Mariga LGA, Abbas Adamu Kasuwan-Garba, who confirmed the incident, said normalcy had been restored in the town, the newspaper reported.

Spokesman of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun told the newspaper that the woman was set ablaze before the police could reach the spot.

“Meanwhile, efforts are being made to ensure that arrests are effected, investigated and prosecuted,” the police spokesman told Daily Post.

Such killings are often recorded in Nigeria, where blasphemy is regarded as a criminal offence under Sharia law.

Amnesty International Nigeria reacted to the killing of the woman and wrote on Facebook: "The Nigerian authorities must immediately and transparently investigate the killing of a female food vendor named Ammaye by a mob at Kasuwan Garba village in Mariga LGA of Niger state over alleged blasphemy, on Friday 29 August 2025. Those suspected to be responsible must be arrested and brought to justice."

"The menace of mob violence is perhaps one of the biggest threats to the right to life in Nigeria. The fact that these killings have been happening for a long time, with few cases investigated and prosecuted, highlights the authorities’ shocking failure to uphold and fulfil their obligation to protect people from harm and violence," the organisation said.