Mob Set Man On Fire For Stealing Android Phone
The Cross River State Police Command has denounced the jungle justice meted out to the suspect identified as Eyo.
Eyo, who was 22 years old, was set on fire by an angry mob on Sunday, April 9, 2023.
The incident happened at Esu Street, off Edim Otop Street, Atimbo, Calabar Municipality LGA of the State.
Reports indicate that Eyo was accused of stealing a phone the previous evening and fled.
He only returned the next morning, where he met his untimely death.
Residents claim that Eyo, who resided around the Second transformer in Inyanghasang, had a history of petty theft.
“I have known Eyo since secondary school.
He has always been stealing.
There was a time he stole half of the class’s school fees.
Even as we grew into our 20s, Eyo became audacious in stealing and more notorious.
He was always caught stealing.
This is not the first time a mob tried to mob him.
Unfortunately, he got unlucky today,” a source revealed to Vanguard News.
“They started beating him with cutlasses and gave him deep cuts before setting him ablaze.
Funny enough, it’s just for stealing an Android phone,” the source added.
The spokesperson of the command, SP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, stated that it is illegal for anyone to take laws into their hands.
Ugbo added that the right thing to do would have been to report the suspect to the nearest police station.
Preferable, rather than killing him in such a gruesome manner.
“The mob action against the suspect was illegal, barbaric and highly unacceptable.
He should have been handed over to the police,” she added.
Jungle justice, which is an illegal form of punishment, is a growing trend in some parts of Nigeria.
It often involves the killing of suspects by angry mobs who have taken the law into their own hands.
It is a violation of human rights and the rule of law.
To combat this, the government has been encouraging citizens to report crimes to the police rather than jungle justice.
The government has also been urged to provide security measures and laws to curb the rising mob justice.
This incident highlights the need for citizens to comply with the law and refrain from jungle justice.
The rule of law is paramount in a just society, and everyone must respect and abide by it.
Governing authorities must ensure the safety of citizens and ensure that lawbreakers are made to face the law.
Furthermore, incidents of mob action should be investigated, and perpetrators should be made to face the full consequences of the law.
The government must ensure that those who break the law are held accountable to deter citizens who might want to take the law into their own hands.
