Suspected motorcycle thief set ablaze in Imo

A suspected motorcycle thief has been set ablaze at Irete daily market in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State by a mob.

The incident happened on Wednesday morning after the suspected armed robber allegedly stole one brand new motorcycle along Onitsha express road and was caught in the market while attempting to escape.

Tribune Online gathered that two armed robbers were involved in the motorcycle snatching but one escaped while the other was killed by the mob.

According to an eyewitness, who declined to be mentioned, “the suspects were initially two in number but one took to his heels after allegedly stealing the motorcycle.

He said: “One was caught and was instantly lynched to death, while the other one scampered for safety.”

Narrating further, the eye-witness said some commercial motorcyclists ran after the suspected thieves and caught up with one right in front of the market.

A passerby, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that the suspect is a notorious motorcycle thief from Agwa in the Oguta council area of the state.

When contacted, the Imo State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Michael Abattam, said he has no information on the incident at the moment, while promising to contact the DPO in charge of the division to intimate him of the incident.