Suspected car thief burnt to death in Lagos

Residents of Isikalu Lane, Olodi-Apapa in the Ajegunle area of Lagos said they had yet to get over the shock of seeing a middle-aged man burnt to death by hoodlums after they accused him of theft.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspected thief, whose name had yet to be known, was set ablaze by the hoodlums for stealing the brain box of a vehicle in the area. The incident occurred at about 5am on Monday.

Our correspondent gathered that the suspect, who was reportedly caught while making away with the item, was beaten and injured by the thugs, before they got tyres and set him on fire.

When PUNCH Metro visited the area on Thursday, our correspondent observed about four half-burnt truck tyres around the spot where the thief was reportedly lynched.

A resident, who identified himself simply as Chukwuka, said he woke up to see the burning body.

He said, “When I woke up at about 7am, the man had burnt more than halfway. He did not live on this street and nobody knew his identity. He was caught at about 4am, and the people beat him before setting him ablaze.”

Another shop owner said there had been a high incidence of theft in the area, adding that the hoodlums were enraged and vented their accumulated anger on the suspect.

He said, “Before that day, thieves had been sneaking into this area to cart away brain boxes of stationary vehicles.

“So, they caught this man, and the thugs beat him up mercilessly. They gathered tyres, got petrol and set fire on the suspect. Nobody could stop them.”

Our correspondent learnt from a source that a suspected child kidnapper also escaped lynching in the area on Wednesday after residents caught him with a three-year-old boy identified simply as Chika.

It was said that the suspect escaped, while the hoodlums looked for items to use to burn him.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, said men of the Tolu Police Division picked up the corpse of a dismissed naval officer on the street, and not a thief that was set ablaze.

She said, “The dismissed naval officer is Suleiman Abdul. His corpse was found wearing camouflage on the street. Some Good Samaritans alerted the police, who contacted the military authorities.

“Upon search, his identity was revealed as a dismissed naval officer. The cause of his death was still unknown, while his corpse has been deposited in a mortuary.”

SOURCE