By Izunna Okafor, Onitsha
It was an unfortunate Thursday for three suspected thieves operating around the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, as angry mob apprehended and burnt them alive after allegedly robbing a victim of his phone.
According to an eyewitness account, the incident happened around Upper Iweka motor park, close to Star Sunny motor park, in Onitsha
It was gathered that the three men, who were operating in a tricycle, stopped and dispossessed a woman of her phone and other belongings, but luck ran out of them when they hastened back into their tricycle to zoom off, and the tricycle developed fault and refused to start.
As they became panicky and were hurrying up to fix the fault, some boys who are loading vehicles in motor park quickly descended on them and started beating them up.
Some of the angry mob immediately rushed and brought tyres while others brought fuel, and before police could arrive, they had already set them ablaze.
Reacting to the incident, the Anambra State Police Command commended the mob for helping police to apprehend the the suspected thieves, but, however, condemned their act of jungle justice and urged people to always hand-over suspects to police for proper investigation, rather than taking laws into their hands.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, the state’s police operatives have recovered the tricycle belonging to the burnt suspected thieves, as well as the handbag and infinix phone that were allegedly dispossessed from the female victim by the suspected thieves, who were operating along Owerri Road.
The statement reads in parts, “Upon police arrival, angry mob had already set 3 out of the hoodlums ablaze and the fourth person escaped. Meanwhile, Police operatives are already on ground and efforts are emplace to bring normalcy to the area and possibly to apprehend the fleeing gang member.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng frowns at such act, but thanked the members of the public for assisting the Police in apprehending suspected criminals, also urged them to always exercise restraint by not taking the law into their hands.”
He explained that the Commissioner urged members of the public to endeavour to take such suspects to the nearest Police Station whenever they are apprehended, as, according to him, this would afford the Police the opportunity to conduct appropriate investigation into the nefarious activities of the suspects; and bring them to justice in accordance with extant laws.
