By Ushang Ewa
A suspected robber was burnt to death by an angry mob Sunday afternoon in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The robber was chased down after a trader raised an alarm following an attempt to rob traders at the Edim Otop market in Calabar Municipal local government area, sources told CrossRiverWatch.
Details such as; who was being robbed, the axis of the market, where and how he was caught after the failed robbery attempt remained unclear as at press time.
A resident and eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Etim told CrossRiverWatch that; “The guy was always operating with charms and when he was caught, some people who knew how to undo the charms that can make him disappear quickly and tires were placed on his neck a few minutes later, fuel poured and whoosh, he was in flames.”
The police spokesperson, ASP Irene Ugbo and the ‘Operation Skolombo’ commander, Laja Sikiru could not be reached for comment as at press time even as findings reveal a security van is almost always stationed nearby.
The spate of robberies and petty thievery is witnessing an upsurge of recent in the city which government officials still refer to as the most peaceful in the country despite heightened criminal activities suggesting otherwise.
However, the rate of jungle justice being meted out by angry mobs in the state decreased towards the end of the second quarter of 2017 following an upsurge earlier in the year.