April 11, (THEWILL) – A suspected motorcycle thief narrowly escaped death on Wednesday after an enraged mob descended on him following a failed robbery attempt around Angus Fraser College in the Owner Occupier Quarters Extension area of Makurdi, Benue State.
The suspect, said to be part of a three-man gang that allegedly dispossessed a rider of his motorcycle at gunpoint, was apprehended by vigilant residents after a high-speed chase. While two of the suspects reportedly fell off the stolen motorcycle and fled the scene, the third was not so lucky.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the suspect was stoned by the mob and was moments away from being set ablaze when operatives of the Nigerian Police arrived and rescued him from the scene.
A resident and commercial rider, Master Peter Agera Agbo, decried the growing rate of motorcycle theft in the area, describing it as a near-weekly occurrence. He said the repeated incidents forced residents to form a local vigilance group to ward off criminals.
According to him, many of the affected riders acquired their motorcycles through loans from a local credit company, BAM, under strict repayment terms that risk repossession if not completed within seven months.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Sewuese Anene, for official confirmation were unsuccessful, as a message sent to her phone had not been responded to at the time of filing this report.
