FIVE persons, suspected to be phone snatchers, were burnt to death along Old People’s Club Road in Okpuno community, Awka, Anambra State. The deceased were said to have been set ablaze Saturday evening by an irate mob after they were apprehended while attempting to rob passers-by of their phones.
It was gathered that the area has been notorious for different kinds of robbery, particularly phone snatching which usually occurred during early, lonely and late hours of the day.
A trending video from the scene showed one of the suspects lying lifeless on the road half-naked and surrounded by the crowd, who were heaping abuses and hurling missiles at him; while his accomplices were already on fire.
The mob was also seen throwing tyres, planks and other combustibles at the suspect, just as they fondled his genital organ before eventually setting him alight after pouring fuel on him.
Anambra police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident, saying the suspects has already been set ablaze before the arrival of police officers.
Eighteen-Eleven Media