Panic erupted at the popular Ipata Market in Ilorin on Thursday morning after a woman accused of attempting to abduct a child was nearly lynched by an angry mob.

Eyewitnesses said the suspect was allegedly caught while trying to lure a child away, prompting traders and passersby to raise an alarm.

She was immediately set upon by a mob, beaten severely, and was on the verge of being lynched when police officers intervened.

“She was beaten mercilessly and almost lynched, but she miraculously survived after police arrived and quickly rushed her to a hospital,” one eyewitness told Lagos Eye News.

Authorities have not released the identity of the suspect or the hospital where she is receiving treatment.

However, items reportedly recovered from her included four ATM cards and several documents, fueling suspicion that she may be linked to a wider kidnapping syndicate.

The incident triggered tension across the market community, with residents expressing concern over the rising spate of attempted child abductions in Ilorin.

This development comes barely three months after police rescued another suspect from mob action over a similar allegation of child abduction in the metropolis.