Car thief burnt to death in Lagos

Firstclass newsline learnt that residents of Isikalu Lane, Olodi-Apapa
in the Ajegunle area of Lagos said they had yet to get over the shock
of seeing a middle-aged man burnt to death by hoodlums after they
accused him of theft.
Firstclass newsline learnt that the suspected thief, whose name had
yet to be known, was set ablaze by the hoodlums for stealing the brain
box of a vehicle in the area. The incident occurred at about 5am on
Monday.
Firstclass newsline learnt that the suspect, who was reportedly caught
while making away with the item, was beaten and injured by the thugs,
before they got tyres and set him on fire.
When firstclass newsline crew visited the area on Thursday, firstclass
newsline crew observed about four half-burnt truck tyres around the
spot where the thief was reportedly lynched.
A resident, who identified himself simply as Chukwuka, said he woke up
to see the burning body.
He said, "When I woke up at about 7am, the man had burnt more than
halfway. He did not live on this street and nobody knew his identity.
He was caught at about 4am, and the people beat him before setting him
ablaze."
Another shop owner said there had been a high incidence of theft in
the area, adding that the hoodlums were enraged and vented their
accumulated anger on the suspect.
He said, "Before that day, thieves had been sneaking into this area to
cart away brain boxes of stationary vehicles.
"So, they caught this man, and the thugs beat him up mercilessly. They
gathered tyres, got petrol and set fire on the suspect. Nobody could
stop them."
Firstclass newsline learnt from a source that a suspected child
kidnapper also escaped lynching in the area on Wednesday after
residents caught him with a three-year-old boy identified simply as
Chika.
Firstclass newsline learnt that the suspect escaped, while the
hoodlums looked for items to use to burn him.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin,
said men of the Tolu Police Division picked up the corpse of a
dismissed naval officer on the street, and not a thief that was set
ablaze.
She said, "The dismissed naval officer is Suleiman Abdul. His corpse
was found wearing camouflage on the street. Some Good Samaritans
alerted the police, who contacted the military authorities.
"Upon search, his identity was revealed as a dismissed naval officer.
The cause of his death was still unknown, while his corpse has been
deposited in a mortuary."
Firstclassnewsline.net