Two suspected armed robbers have been burnt to death after robbing a pregnant woman at the Abak Road Boulevard, in Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom state.
A witness who preferred to be unnamed said about four robbers surrounded the woman when she got down from a motorbike at about 9pm on Tuesday night.
According to him, the motorcyclist drove off after dropping his passanger but was forced to turn back on hearing screams from the pregnant woman.
He stated that on sighting the motorcyclist, two of the robbers fled the scene after successfully dispossessing the lady of her valuables.
He, however, said the other two robbers were not fortunate as the motorcyclist immediately alerted nearby residents, who engaged in a battle with the hoodlums.
He said they were able to rescue the woman adding that she sustained a severe hand injury in the process.
“Luck ran out of two of them when they were overpowered by many men who beat, stoned them with building blocks and locked them up in the same tunnel and set them ablaze,” he said.
A resident of the area, Mrs Arit Archibong lamented that the boulevard area has become a den of criminals for some years now.
She added that about four rape cases were reported within the tunnel in December 2019, blaming the crime on power blackout and lack of security in the area.
Police spokesman in the state, Odiko Macdon, confirmed the incident but frowned at the jungle justice meted out to the hoodlums, noting that such act has no place in 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.
“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.
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