Police investigate lynching of suspected thief in Calabar
Cross River State Police Investigate Lynching of Suspected Thief in Calabar
Calabar, Nigeria — The Cross River State Police Command has launched an investigation into the lynching of a suspected thief, identified only as a 22-year-old male, whose burned body was discovered along Mayne Avenue in the Calabar South area.
The incident was reported to officers at the Atakpa Division early on February 10 during a routine surveillance patrol, according to Public Relations Officer SP Eitiokpa Sunday Akata. The patrol team received information from an undisclosed source regarding an unidentified corpse near Nyong Edem Street, which marks the border between the Atakpa and Efut Divisions.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased had allegedly ventured out with two accomplices to vandalize an electricity transformer at an undisclosed location. Reports suggest that the individual was apprehended by a mob, subsequently lynched, and set ablaze before being transported to the site where his remains were found.
Akata noted that the scene of the discovery showed no signs of struggle, weapons, or other materials typically associated with such incidents, leading investigators to believe that the violence occurred elsewhere.
Photographs of the scene have been taken, and the body has been removed as authorities proceed with a full-scale investigation. The police command expressed its commitment to identifying and apprehending those involved in the mob action.
