A young man named Eyo, aged 22, was brutally set on fire by a mob on Sunday evening in Atimbo area of Calabar Municipality Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria, for an alleged theft of a phone.
According to an eyewitness account, Eyo had a history of petty stealing and had been warned multiple times in the past.
The source mentioned that he had stolen from his classmates during secondary school, including half of the class’ school fees at one point.
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The incident took place after Eyo allegedly stole a phone on Saturday and left the community, only to return on Sunday. The witness stated that the mob beat Eyo with a cutlass in a fit of anger before setting him on fire.
SP Irene Ugbo, the Police Public Relations Officer, condemned the act of lynching, stating that it is unlawful for individuals to take the law into their own hands.
She emphasized that such acts of jungle justice are unacceptable, barbaric, and illegal. SP Ugbo further stressed that the proper course of action should have been to report the incident to the authorities.
