An angry mob descended on a man, killed and set him ablaze after they mistook him for a robber around a popular relaxation centre at the old London Lane, in Apo, Abuja.
The deceased identified as Ikechukwu Anigbo, 32, a barber who hails from Aku in Enugu State was killed in the violence on Saturday, March 12, 2016.
It was gathered that the deceased’s friend, Chukwudi Orji had visited his barbing salon on the fateful day only to receive news about 30 minutes after he left that Anigbo has been killed in a violence involving some motorcyclists.
Orji said: “I saw the fire, but I did not know that someone was inside. There was smoke everywhere; there was no way you would have known that there was someone in the fire, except you were there or somebody told you about it.”
Reports said that a quarrel had ensued between the deceased and a motorcyclist over his N10 balance and during the process, the motorcyclist raised an alarm that Anigbo was a thief thereby attracting his colleagues who gathered tyres and set the man ablaze.
The taskforce chairman of Abuja Spare Parts Dealers Association, Apo, Mr. Ezema Virginus Chukwudike said: “The mob that gathered following the alarm collected tyres from a vulcanising workshop near the scene and set the deceased on fire.
“When news of the incident spread, people became angry. They wondered why the motorcyclists would burn an innocent man. Even the man who volunteered to carry the corpse after he had been killed, was chased away.
“This is not the first time that motorcyclists are killing someone over a paltry sum of money.
“A similar thing happened in Kabusa, when a boy was stabbed because of change. Another man was killed on Wumba road. The same change issue led to the death of a man in Damagaza. In his case, after he was killed, they kept him near a river until the next day.
“The last time such an incident occurred in the area, the traders protested and it took the intervention of policemen to bring the situation under control.”
Mr Chukwudi said the incident had been reported at the Apo Police Station.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT police command, ASP Anjuguri Manzah said: “There was a disagreement last night between two opposing groups and we are in the know.”
Manzah noted that there were many versions to the incident with some maintaining that Anigbo did not commit any crime while others claim that he attempted to snatch the motorcycle but was overpowered by the motorcyclists.
He said: “A thorough investigation is ongoing to give a clearer picture of what actually transpired.”
