Two suspected robbers have been lynched by a mob along the Onitsha-Owerri Road, Anambra State.
The incident happened by the Romchi Transport Park along the road on Thursday, when the suspects, while operating in a tricycle, attempted to dispossess a lady of her valuables at gunpoint.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “For some days now, a robbery gang has been robbing unsuspecting passengers while pretending to be tricycle operators. They will pick passengers from Upper Iweka going to Oba and in the middle of the journey, they will dispossess their victims of their belongings at gunpoint and push them out.
“Luck ran out on these ones today as they brought out a gun and were trying to dispossess their passenger, a lady, of her handbag. She then shouted. The three robbers were apprehended. While two were set ablaze, one managed to escape through a nearby bush.”
It was observed that the incident caused gridlock on the road before the police restored sanity.
The victim, who identified herself as Stella, said, “I boarded the tricycle at Upper Iweka going to Oba. On getting to the Romchi Park, one of the two men sitting beside me on the right brought out a gun and instructed me to surrender my bag and other items I had. The one on my left at the same time was searching me.
“While they were doing this, I was struggling with them and the rider. At a point, I screamed and before I knew it, people gathered around the tricycle. I guess the mob’s action was due to bottled-up anger because of the constant robberies on this road.”
The state police spokesman, Ikenga Tochukwu, condemned the jungle justice, saying the mob should have taken the suspects to the nearest police station.
He said, “The Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng, frowns on such acts and urges people to always exercise restraints by not taking the law into their hands.”
