An angry mob, on Sunday evening, set a 22byesr old boy ablaze for allegedly stealing an Android mobile phone.
The incident happened at the Atimbo area of Calabar Municipality Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River.
Narrating the incident, an eyewitness identified the boy as Eyo.
He said that Eyo has been known for petty stealing around the area and has been warned severally to desist from such.
The witness, who pleaded anonymity, said that the boy committed the offense on Saturday and disappeared into thin air only to reappear on Sunday.
“I have known Eyo from secondary school, he has always been stealing, there was a time he stole half of the class school fees.
“Even as we grew into our 20s, Eyo became audacious in stealing and more notorious, he was always caught stealing, this is not the first time a mob action was carried out on him, he only met his end today.
“They started by beating him with cutlass before setting him ablaze. Funny enough, it’s just for stealing an android phone,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Police Command spokesperson in the State, SP Irene Ugbo, has confirmed the incident and decried the act.
While noting that it was unlawful for people to take laws into their hands, she said the right thing to do was to have reported the suspect to the nearest police station in the area.
“Killing him in the most gruesome manner through mob action is not only barbaric, it is illegal and unacceptable,” she stated.
