The Akwa Ibom State Police Command is looking into the death of a man who was reportedly attacked and burned by a mob in Ikpe Ikot Akpan Village. This incident took place along the Ikot Ekpene, Uyo Road.
DSP Timfon John, the Police Public Relations Officer, shared this information in a statement on Wednesday.
John explained that the event happened around 7:05 am. This was after some people accused the man of trying to steal a motorcycle owned by Idoroenyin Udo.
She mentioned that early investigations showed that the motorcycle owner fought back against the theft. He raised an alarm, which led to some people in the area chasing and catching the suspect.
Instead of taking him to the police, some members of the mob decided to take the law into their own hands. They attacked the suspect and set him on fire, which led to his death.
When the police received the distress call, they quickly sent officers to the scene and began an investigation.
John added that the command is working hard to identify and arrest everyone involved in the mob action. She stated that anyone found guilty will face justice according to the law.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Azare, condemned the incident. He warned the public against taking the law into their own hands.
He said, “No individual or group has the right to determine the guilt of a suspect or impose punishment outside the law.”
Azare emphasized that anyone accused of a crime should be handed over to the proper authorities for investigation and prosecution.
The command urged the public to obey the law and report any suspected criminal activities to the police instead of resorting to mob justice.
“Jungle justice is unlawful, dangerous and unacceptable. It destroys evidence, frustrates proper investigation and can lead to the killing of innocent persons,” she added.
John ended by saying that the investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to catch everyone involved in the incident.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇