By Ayoni M. Agbabiaka
Abuja
Three suspected members of a syndicate which specialises in snatching motorcycles in the Karshi area of Abuja were caught and burnt alive by a mob at the weekend.
According to an eyewitness, Chuks Okafor, the mob, consisting mainly of youth, commercial motorists plying the route and some hoodlums used big sticks and stones to attack the victims before burning them with tyres after sprinkling them with a gallon of fuel.
The incident occurred at about 8 p.m. on Saturday by the roadside near a police station on Karshi road, one of FCT’s fast developing settlements off the Abuja/Keffi expressway as onlookers crowded the scene to have a view of the jungle justice.
However, the hot flames from the bodies of the gang did not die out till Sunday morning, and their remains were later buried in the area.
According to Okafor, the victims had attempted to steal an okada motorcycle belonging to a commercial motorcyclist in the area.
He said the suspects were caught in the act when the owner of the motorcycle resisted and immediately alerted other commercial motorcyclists (okada men) in the area who responded to the distress call.
It was gathered that the motorcyclists stormed the police station where the men were kept asking for their release.
The mob outnumbered the policemen at the station.
Their reason was that the thieves would be let off the hook without any penalty, claiming that there had been cases of at least 10 motorcyclists being killed by members of unknown syndicate who snatches motorcycles in the area.
