An enraged crowd has set a young man on fire, accusing him of stealing a motorcycle in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. The horrifying incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
According to reports, the suspect assaulted a commercial motorcyclist at Ochito-ghana and managed to snatch his bike. However, his luck ran out when he brought the stolen motorcycle to Jamaica Street to show it to a friend. A vigilant onlooker, sensing that something was amiss, raised the alarm, leading to the man being surrounded by other commercial motorcyclists.
During the confrontation, the suspect admitted to committing multiple murders of motorcycle riders in Otukpo, including a recent killing on Achigili Street. He revealed that he would take their bikes to Obollo in Enugu state, where he sold them off.
Following his confession, the mob resorted to vigilante justice, subjecting him to a brutal punishment. They paraded him naked with the stolen motorcycle before unleashing their fury, setting him ablaze near a wood depot in Otukpo. The witness described the horrific scene, saying, “They made him walk around naked with the stolen motorcycle before they descended on him, set him ablaze, and he burnt to ashes.”
Expressing his disapproval, the Ochotukpo Odu, His Royal Highness, Chief (Dr.) John Onuminya Eimonye, condemned the mob’s actions and the resulting death of the young man. In a statement from his office on Wednesday, June 7, he expressed concern over the increasing rate of crime in the town and called upon young people to reject all forms of criminal activities and social vices.
Chief Eimonye emphasized that regardless of the severity of a crime, there are legal provisions in place to punish offenders. He strongly criticized the act of jungle justice, denouncing it as outdated, barbaric, and inhumane.
Discussion about this post