Mob Set Ablaze Suspected Car Battery Thieve As Petty Thievery Rate Soars In Calabar

By Ushang Ewa

An angry mob set ablaze a young man suspected to have stolen car batteries Monday along Yellow Duke street in Calabar.

Residents say the victim was suspected to have stolen from a car parked nearby and was chased briefly after an alarm was raised, caught and after a brief beating, a tire was placed on his neck, poured petrol and burnt alive with eye witnesses saying he could be heard crying when the fire was lit.

The corpse was removed Tuesday afternoon CrossRiverWatch gathered as this reporter could only find soot on the scene.

The alleged theft comes barely a week after new Police Commissioner, Hafiz Inuwa advised car owners to be vigilant and has increased the number of jungle justice meted out to suspected criminals to over half a dozen in 2017 alone.

Inuwa’s advise also came barely a week after a mob in Ikot Ansa where the situation is said to be worse, had set ablaze another suspected thief after his the people mobilized against his gang with other members escaping.

Findings also reveals that petty robbery and thievery is on the rise again with a group of boys numbering over 8 holding several to ransom at Goldie by Mount Zion to Mount Zion by Orok Orok between 6:30 PM to 7:15 PM when the Police arrived and chased them away.

Residents ran indoors with one positing that the inability of the state government to provide street lighting despite installing the necessary infrastructure as one of the enabling factors for the rise in crime rate.

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