A 25-year-old man known only as Monday was caught with two live goats that he had reportedly stolen in the Obio Ndot village in the Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, and he managed to flee a lynching by an enraged crowd.
The suspect arrived in the area over the weekend from his base in Uyo, the state capital, and attempted to steal the two goats before the vigilante youths caught up with him and alerted the authorities.
Comrade Ubong Udoh, a village vigilante group member, explained that the suspect was an ex-convict, which is what prompted the surveillance to track him down till he was caught stealing the goats.
“He was escaping with the goats to the park for onward movement to Uyo when an alarm was raised the alarm that rallied the youths to arrest him.
He continued by saying that Monday was captured by the crowd, who beat him ruthlessly and attempted to burn him while obtaining fuel. Eventually, community leaders intervened and phoned the police, who arrived to save the suspect.
The youth recalled that the same suspect, who sells roasted pork meat in Uyo, had two years ago, stolen two goats from the community, and loaded them in a chartered tricycle popularly called ‘Keke NAPEP.’
He said that the rider was apprehended and escorted to the police station at the Abak LGA Divisional headquarters, but he jumped off the tricycle and ran away before he could be apprehended.
Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State, CP Waheed Ayilara, responded to the incident by expressing concern over the state's ongoing use of jungle justice on criminal suspects.
He claimed that certain people who broke the law by setting suspected criminal elements on fire had been apprehended and would shortly be charged for the crimes.
