Mob kills suspected thief in Edo — third case of jungle justice in a week

A teenager accused of stealing a motorcycle has been burnt to death by a mob in Auchi, Etsako west LGA, Edo state.

The incident happened on Friday.

The video of the mob action, shared on social media platforms, shows that two male teenagers were stripped naked and beaten over alleged theft.

One of the teenagers was later burnt to death.

Kontongs Bello, Edo police spokesperson, in a statement on Saturday, said some vigilantes aided the mob who set ablaze the suspect in Auchi.

Bello said Abutu Yaro, Edo commissioner of police, condemned the “inhumane and barbaric” act and has ordered an investigation into the incident.

“The Edo state commissioner of police, CP Abutu Yaro, fdc has ordered a thorough investigation into the barbaric and dehumanizing act of jungle justice meted on an alleged suspect by some purported irate youths masquerading as vigilantes in Auchi,” the statement reads.

“The commissioner of police while reacting to the ugly incident, frowned at the action of the vigilantes, who instead of taking the suspect to the Police for proper investigation and prosecution, aided the irate mob to burn the suspect allegedly arrested for stealing to death without any recourse to the law.

“CP Abutu Yaro, fdc who described the act as barbaric and inimical to the law governing our dear country, warned Edo State indigenes that the Command under his watch will not allow disgruntled elements in the society to take laws into their hands by killing suspects arrested for alleged crimes in such a dehumanizing and unlawful manner.”

The incident means Nigeria has recorded the third reported case of jungle justice in one week, which had led to the death of four victims.

On Wednesday, two unidentified men were burnt to death by a mob at Ijesha axis of Lagos over the alleged theft of mobile phones.

A day after some angry students set ablaze Deborah Emmanuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto state, over comments considered to be an insult to Prophet Mohammed.