Irate youths on Friday set ablaze a suspected armed robber at the Makurdi Modern Market area of Makurdi in Benue State.
Salient Times learnt that the suspect was lynched after he broke into two shops at about 3:30 am before proceeding to attack other residents at 5 am on Friday.
He was reportedly a member of a robbery gang who was caught after others escaped.
An eyewitness, Peters Abo, said: “The suspect and his co-criminals had successfully robbed a shop where they sell paint, carted away several valuables and also went to a Bet9ja shop to rob a victim.
“But before they could complete their mission at the Bet9ja shop, some people residing within the premises, raised an alarm which caught the attention of youths in the area.
“The youths chased them away and they went to another place to rob.
“They had earlier robbed successfully, shot and snatched a motorcycle from an unidentified person at Naka Road before Bushbar area of Makurdi after which they headed to Ankpa Ward Road to rob another shop.
“The youth pursued them and later caught up with one of them. The other robbers reportedly escaped while this one was unlucky.
“He was at first attacked with stones and other dangerous objects but those things could not penetrate his body before he was set ablaze.
“The youths caught him with a gun and cutlass which he used to operate. They used those weapons on him but he refused to die until they carried a tire, placed it on his neck and set him on.”
He added: “This action took place in the presence of a police patrol team who stumbled into the youths while they were beating the criminal.
“The police could not do anything because immediately they saw the criminal, they called him by his name and said that he had been involved in a series of armed robbery cases.”
As of press time, the Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, was neither reachable on the telephone, nor did she respond to text messages sent to her.
