By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – What was once a dream come true has turned into a nightmare for Davou Boyi, a physically-challenged man from Vom, Jos South local government area of Plateau State.

His dream home, a four-bedroom bungalow with a garage in the Dankarang community of Kuru District, Jos South LGA, now lies in ruins.

His sister, Laraba Gyang, a mother of five and civil servant preparing for retirement, was brutally murdered by a mob, property worth over N50 Naira million gone, and all he has left is a broken body, a wounded spirit, and a cry for justice.

It all started on Sunday, April 27, 2025, when some children reportedly attended a Sunday School in a Church near Davou’s house. Unknown to anyone, three of the children had entered a car parked in his compound and two never never came out alive. While one of the children survived, the other two tragically died from what is believed to be heat-related suffocation.

Davou, the owner of the vehicle was away from home attending to his businesses that Sunday, having no idea about the presence of the children in his compound.

“I left home very early in the morning on that Sunday, returned late in the evening, and went to bed. The next morning as usual, I also left and returned home on Monday evening. I was easing myself on my return on Monday evening, I noticed the door of one of the parked vehicles was slightly open. I checked and saw a boy stood up inside the car, with two others lying still,” he recounted.

Alarmed, he sought the help of his neighbours to identify the children. Realizing the situation the children were in, he promptly called the Police and a local vigilante in the Kuru community. But what followed was a horrifying spiral of mob rage.

“A boy started shouting that I sacrificed the children so my church could grow. I don’t even own a church,” Davou said, his voice heavy with pain. “They hit me from behind, began to beat me mercilessly, threw tyres on me, ready to set me ablaze. My neighbours pleaded with them, but some of them were also attacked.”

What saved him from certain death was the timely intervention of the Police from the Kaduna Vom Division, who whisked him away amidst a hostile crowd that had already blocked the road. But the damage had already begun.

While he was in a nearby clinic where the Police took him to, the mob looted his home, destroyed valuables, and eventually set the house on fire. Tragically, his elder sister, Laraba Gyang, who had rushed to the scene after being informed, became their next target. “They dragged her, beat her, and eventually set her ablaze,” Davou lamented. “She was burnt alive.”

The community where Davou had once run a free school for children for four years, and had to close it during the COVID-19 lockdown, helped widows, and other community members, turned against him, based on falsehoods. “I’ve never had issues in that area. I’ve helped people. I collect and sell used vehicles. The cars in my compound were part of that business. Some weren’t even mine,” he stated.

Some of his neighbours speaking anonymously, confirmed that the children entered the car during Sunday school hours and were not noticed until Davou saw them the next day.

“The surviving boy said it was his brother’s idea to play inside the car. The heat that day was extreme. Nobody knew they were there,” the neighbours said.

Cases of mob actions are not new in Plateau State. In recent years, mob actions have resulted in tragic deaths. From the 2022 lynching at Eto Baba to the 2023 Tudun Wada killing and the 2024 Jenta Adamu incident, and others, jungle justice has become a deadly trend.

Leah Hassan, Chairperson of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Jos Branch, condemned the act. “Mob action is criminal and dangerous. In a civilized society, suspects should be handed over to the Police. This kind of behaviour can incite ethno-religious violence,” she warned.

Pastor Ovey Abene, who has known Davou for over 20 years, expressed shock at the tragedy. “Davou is a peace-loving man. This was wickedness. Those responsible must be punished.”

When contacted, Plateau State Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo said, “I know the case. It was handled by the State CID. I can’t confirm the current status of the investigation.”

Now, with nothing left but his faith and the clothes on his back, Davou pleads for justice, not only for himself but for his late sister.

“This jungle justice has to stop. People must learn to ask questions and not jump to conclusions. Parents, please monitor your children. I sympathize with the parents of the children, but this unfortunate incident has cost me my home, my business, my sister… everything,” Davou decried.

Also, Amnesty International through its Nigeria representative, Sanusi Isa, asks that the incident should not be swept under the carpet, calling on authorities to ensure perpetrators are fished out and made to face prosecution.

With his house gone and his sister murdered, Davou’s story is a reminder of the consequences of jungle justice and the urgent need for community sensitization, legal accountability, and protection of the vulnerable in society.