Two Suspected Motorcycle Thieves Lynched and Burned to Death in Makurdi, Nigeria

Two suspected motorcycle snatchers were lynched and burned to death by a mob in Nyon, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, after attempting to rob an okada (commercial motorcycle) rider at gunpoint around midnight on Friday. The incident occurred when the okada rider picked up the two passengers from Katsina Ala Street in the High Level area of Makurdi and was directed to a street in Nyon.

According to a witness named Terna, when the okada rider asked the passengers to pay him so he could return, they refused and instead tried to seize his motorcycle keys. The okada rider raised an alarm, leading to the suspects being apprehended by a mob that gathered at the scene.

The mob proceeded to lynch the two suspects and set their bodies ablaze. The police confirmed receiving a report of the incident and said officers had been deployed to the community to investigate what happened.

Why this matters: This incident highlights the issue of mob justice and extrajudicial killings in Nigeria, where citizens sometimes take the law into their own hands due to a lack of trust in law enforcement. It underscores the need for improved policing and swift justice through proper legal channels to prevent such incidents from occurring.

The police urged the public to desist from taking the law into their own hands and instead report criminal issues to law enforcement agencies. "The Command condemns the act of jungle justice and advises members of the public to report any suspicious activity to the police for necessary action," a police spokesperson said in a statement. The identities of the lynched suspects were not immediately known, and an inquiry into the incident is ongoing.

Key Takeaways

• Two suspected motorcycle snatchers lynched and burned to death by mob in Makurdi, Nigeria.
• Incident occurred when okada rider was asked to pay by passengers, who then tried to seize keys.
• Mob apprehended suspects and set their bodies ablaze, highlighting issue of mob justice in Nigeria.
• Police condemned the "jungle justice" and urged public to report crimes instead of taking law into own hands.
• Identities of lynched suspects unknown, police investigation ongoing.