An angry mob has set two suspected armed robbers ablaze in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The incident happened on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at about 3:30 p.m. near Sokoto Road, Main Market.
The accused were lynched by the mob before they were set on fire, according to local eyewitnesses.
"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.
The incident was verified by DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, who stated that the two suspects, named as Omaume and Monday, are part of a well-known armed robbery group that terrorizes 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.”