Two suspected armed robbers have been set ablaze by an irate mob in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The incident occurred near Sokoto Road, Main Market around 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2023
An eyewitness in the area said the mob first lynched the suspects before setting them on fire.
“The tricycle operator had dropped a passenger and his goods in the market, and as he was about to move, those boys approached him and attempted to dispossess him of his money before the mob descended on them, lynched them before setting them ablaze,” the witness told newsmen.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the incident, said the two suspects identified as Omaume and Monday, are members of a notorious armed robbery gang terrorizing Onitsha Main Market.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, has condemned the act and reiterated his call for members of the public to always take offenders to the nearest police station for necessary policing actions, particularly the conduct of appropriate investigations,” the PPRO stated.
“The CP has, therefore, ordered a thorough investigation of the incident.
“Meanwhile, preliminary information revealed that the two male suspects, who were later simply identified as Omaume and Monday, are members of a notorious armed robbery gang led by one Itanda (male), already in the Correctional Service Custodial Centre.
“The gang is alleged to be responsible for several attacks and the dispossession of traders and unsuspecting victims of their personal belongings at the Main Market, Onitsha.”