Two Thieves Burnt For Robbing Pregnant Woman In A’Ibom
…Jungle Justice Totally Unacceptable -Police
Four alleged armed men on Tuesday night were burnt to ashes while trying to rob a pregnant women at Abak Road Boulevard, Uyo.
An eyewitness said the incident occurred at about 09:00pm, when the pregnant women was immediately surrounded by the robbers as soon as she got down from a motorbike.
Though the rider had, according to the eye witness, taken off after dropping his passenger, he was immediately compelled to turn back due to a screaming sound from his pregnant passenger.
The eyewitness who declined his name in print reported that two of the robbers on sighting the bike man fled after they had successfully dispossed the lady of her valuable items, while the other two were not as fortunate.
Another eyewitness and resident of the area who also pleaded anonymity said the aggrieved bike man, who immediately alerted others, engaged in a battle with the hoodlums and rescued the woman who had sustained a severe hand injury in the process
“Luck ran out on two of them when they were overpowered by many men who beat, stoned them with building blocks, locked them up in the same tunnel and set them ablaze”. The eye witness recounted
Another resident of the area, Mrs. Arit Archibong regretted that that the flyover area has been a den of criminals for some years now, adding that about four rape cases were reported within the tunnel in December 2019.
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Other residents who spoke with newsmen blamed the crime on blackout and lack of security in the area.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, SP Odiko Macdon frowned at such jungle justice, stressing that such act has no place in the law.
“It is unfortunate that they were already set ablaze before we got there. Jungle justice has no place in the law. Every accused is innocent until proven guilty by the law”.
The PPRO who cautioned that the command would no longer tolerate such acts, declared that it was better for nine thieves to be allowed unpunished than for one innocent person to be killed in error.
“We have liaised with the state waste management authority to evacuate the remains while investigations are ongoing to unravel those behind the act,” he said
