Motorcycle ‘thief’ set ablaze

A suspected motorcycle thief has been set ablaze by a mob at the North Bank suburb of Makurdi, capital of Benue State.

Witnesses told our correspondent that the incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday after the suspect and his accomplice tried to rob a commercial motorcyclist of his bike.

• Two herders killed, one injured in fresh Plateau attack
• ICAN seeks Media Trust’s partnership on membership drive

A witness said the suspect and his partner poised as passengers and requested the commercial bike rider to convey them to somewhere around Lafia garage in North Bank, and that on the way around SRS junction they tried to rob him.

The witness further said, “It was in the process of the struggle that a vehicle rammed into the three of them. One of the suspects escaped as a mob was attracted to the scene while the other was burnt to death and the rider taken to the hospital.

In another development, suspected cultists, between Wednesday and Thursday, caused unrest in different parts of Makurdi, with at least five houses burnt down on Wednesday at the Adeke area of Mobile Barracks.

During the clash of the suspected rival cult groups, traders were robbed at the North Bank market as the gangs fired gunshots sporadically.

Residents of the affected areas deserted their homes as shooting and burning of houses continued while shop owners closed their shops and parents rushed to pick their wards from schools.

Witnesses said security personnel, including the police, civil defence and DSS had been deployed to the areas to quell the crisis.

Meanwhile, the police spokesman in the state, SP Catherine Anene, had not yet responded to calls and an SMS sent to her telephone.