A mob in Makurdi, Benue State, on Tuesday morning set a suspected motorcycle thief on fire after an attempted robbery along Ibrahim Kashim Road.
Eyewitness Andrew Tergu told reporters that two men had hired a commercial motorcyclist (okada rider) to convey them to the Railway Quarters area of the city. Unknown to the rider, another accomplice was already waiting at their destination.
Tergu explained that when the passengers got down, the third suspect approached, pretending to pay the fare. Instead, he attacked the rider with a pair of scissors, stabbing him multiple times.
The victim screamed for help before collapsing, while the attackers tried to escape with the motorcycle. However, one of them reportedly fell off, and residents quickly overpowered him. He was dragged onto the main road and set ablaze.
By the time journalists arrived, officials of the Benue State Sanitation Agency, assisted by police officers, were seen removing the remains.
The Benue State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the incident but said more details would be released later.
