A suspected armed robber met his end on Friday when he was stoned and set ablaze by an angry mob at Modern Market in Makurdi, Benue State.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Command, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident on Saturday.
According to gathered reports, the suspect was lynched after allegedly breaking into two shops around 3:30 am on Friday, before attacking some residents at about 5:00 am the same day.
Eyewitnesses stated that the suspect, along with his accomplices, had been terrorizing the residents of the Modern Market junction areas. However, his luck ran out when his cohorts escaped, leaving him behind.
An eyewitness, Peters Abo, recounted that the gang had successfully robbed a paint shop and a betting shop, making away with several valuables. However, their mission was interrupted when local residents raised the alarm.
“The suspect and his gang had already robbed a shop selling paint and a betting shop. But when they tried to rob another place, residents raised an alarm which alerted the youths in the area. The youths chased them, but the other robbers escaped, leaving this one behind,” Abo narrated.
The suspect was reportedly responsible for numerous robbery cases in the area. On the day of the incident, he and his gang had also robbed and shot a person, snatching a motorcycle on Naka Road before heading to Ankpa Ward Road to rob another shop.
The mob caught up with the suspect and attacked him with stones and other dangerous objects before setting him ablaze. The police arrived at the scene after the mob had already set the suspect on fire.
Confirming the incident, SP Catherine Anene said, “The police were called but before they arrived, the mob had set the suspect ablaze.”
