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It was a sight of terror in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State, when five young men in their early 80’s, suspected to be robbers, were burnt to death after they harassed a commercial tricycle operator and attempted to steal his tricycle.
The incident was said to have occured within old Nkpor-Onitsha road, near the headquarters of People’s Club, in the evening hours of Saturday. A witness said the men tried to steal a tricycle from the owner when they ran out of luck and were caught, and beaten to pulp before they were finally burnt.
He said: “Mob that gathered after the men were rounded up, refused the advice of some people to invite the police. They first started by stripping the men naked, beating them up and, eventually, some people brought old tyres and fuel, and they were set on fire. It was a very bad sight and everyone watched and supervised while the men burnt to death.”
Another witness said: “These robbers killed a Keke driver two days earlier; precisely on Thursday, after snatching his Keke. They also killed a pregnant woman just yesterday, being Friday, and they are on it again to steal. I think it was God that brought them out to meet their Waterloo.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Anambra State Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development when he was contacted. He said the suspects were already burnt to death before police operatives arrived at the scene.
He said: “Before the police operatives got to the scene at about 5:30pm, the suspects had already been set ablaze. The operatives, however, recovered five mobile phones of different brands and a tricycle suspected to have been stolen by the suspects, who were lynched.”
