By Jonathan Ugbal and David Ogbudu
Following the razing of six people in three local government areas of Cross River, the police command in the state has warned residents to stop taking laws into their hands.
One person was burnt at Ikom, one found dead in Calabar Municipal and four were also roast in Calabar South local government areas between Wednesday and Thursday.
And, the police spokesperson, Mrs. Irene Ugbo who confirmed that two corpses have been deposited in the mortuary, warned residents to desist from the act of jungle justice as it is an offense.
“It is unfortunate because those people were armed robbers and were caught at the neighborhood where they were murdered,” Mrs. Ugbo, a deputy superintendent of police told DailyPost.
“We (have) always told them that when such armed robbers are caught, they should hand them over to the Police and they should not take laws into their hands.
“Individually, they don’t have the right to take anybody’s live, jungle justice is another offense and nobody has the right to take one’s life. However, we are investigating the matter,” she said.
The victim at Ikom was razed along Mile 2 road near four corners. Residents say he stole a bike and following a tip off, the vigilante as well as youths apprehended him.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that he was first beaten to a pulp and then set ablaze.
In Calabar Municipal, a corpse eas found at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan bypass, just before the interchange leading to Parliamentary extension.
A resident who saw the body before it was removed told CrossRiverWatch that, “the way the corpse was laid with hands tied to the back made it look like and assassination or a murder by torture. It could even be a case of kidnap which led to the death of the victim.”
Meanwhile, at Calabar South, the four killings happened within a radius of 1.5 kilometers.
One was razed at the public garbage collection bin at Ekpo Abasi junction, another was found roast at the garbage collection bin just before Ekpo Abasi street by Yellow Duke; about 300 meters north from the first.
About half a kilometer northeast at Atakpa street by Palm street, another victim’s corpse was found close to a public garbage collection bin and one at Abasi Orok street about 1.3 kilometers southwest from Atakpa and less than 900 meters southwest from the corpse at Ekpo Abasi by Yellow Duke.
However, the police confirmed only two. “I can only confirm that there were two corpses found and have been deposited in the mortuary. I am not aware of the killing at the Jonathan bypass but I think that corpse found there was a mad person and I don’t have any report of killings there,” Mrs. Ugbo said.