In what can best be described as jungle justice, angry mob burnt to death two suspected motorcycle thieves in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The Next Edition gathered that the two suspects were burnt in separate incidents on Sunday while trying to snatch motorcycles from their owners.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to our correspondent explained that while one of the suspect was burnt by a mob in front of LGEA Primary School in Wurukum, the second suspect was set ablaze at Gyado Villa, along Makurdi/Gboko road.
A witness, Agnes Adoo, told our reporter that the suspect who died at Wurukum was burnt with tyres around his neck after he attempted without success to snatch a motorcycle from its owner.
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Adoo who said the fire was already burning before she got to the scene of the incident said “I was told that around 5:30a.m, one Okada man (motorcyclist) and his two passengers had stopped at the gate of the primary school.
“They started arguing among themselves after the motorcyclist insisted that he was yet to reach where the duo told him was their destination. It was later learnt that the two passengers had forced him to stop them at the primary school on gunpoint just as they demanded for the key to the bike.
“But, the motorcycle rider refused to hand them the key so they shot at him and the bullet didn’t penetrate. The motorcycle rider on his part picked a stone from the rubbles around there and hit it on one of them while he also raised an alarm which attracted people to the scene.
“One of the suspect escaped while the other was unlucky as the people who got to the scene to help the okada man overpowered him and set him ablaze.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Benue State Police Command, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed one of the two incidents.
She explained that they had received a report at Wurukum area, that a young man attempted to snatch motorcycle from a cyclist and was arrested by a mob.
“The police on reaching the scene, discovered that the suspect had been set ablaze. The command condemns such lawlessness and warns that members of the public should seek justice through the appropriate channels.”
