An alleged motorcycle thief was lynched and set ablaze by a mob in Makurdi on Tuesday.
Police confirmed the incident, warning residents against jungle justice despite the suspect’s criminal record.
A man accused of snatching a motorcycle was lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob along Ibrahim Kashim Road in Makurdi, Benue State capital, on Tuesday.
According to eyewitnesses, two men had hired an okada rider to take them to the railway quarters in the city. Unbeknownst to the rider, another alleged accomplice was already stationed at the location.
One of the witnesses, Andrew Tergu, explained that once the passengers got off, the waiting suspect approached the rider under the guise of paying for the fare but instead attacked him with a pair of scissors, stabbing him several times.
Tergu recounted that as the injured rider screamed for help, the suspects tried to escape with his motorcycle. However, one of them reportedly fell off during the attempt and was immediately seized by the crowd, who dragged him onto the main road before setting him on fire.
When journalists arrived at the scene, officials of the Benue State Sanitation Agency, together with police officers, were seen removing the charred remains of the suspect.
Police spokesperson, SP Udeme Edet, later confirmed the incident. She disclosed that the deceased had only recently regained freedom after serving time at the Makurdi Correctional Centre for a similar offence.
“Once we received the report, our men were deployed to the scene, but before they arrived, residents had already carried out jungle justice. We later confirmed that the victim had previously been jailed for motorcycle theft,” Edet said.
The police condemned the mob action, warning that the command would not tolerate further instances of jungle justice, regardless of the crime involved.
