Angry mob kills suspected child thief, injures another in Nnewi

An irate mob on Wednesday at Otolo Nnewi in Anambra State beat two suspected child thieves to stupor.

It was gathered that the suspects, who were on a motorcycle, grabbed a four-year-old pupil of St Joseph School, Otolo Nnewi while he was returning home from school in the company of his siblings and fled with him.

A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Haruna Mohammed, said that an alarm raised by the other children attracted the attention of some commercial motorcyclists who pursued and eventually arrested the suspects and rescued the child at Akamili area of Nnewi before descending on the suspects.

The statement partly reads: “On the 11/3/2021 at about 2:20pm, there was a report at the Area Command headquarters Nnewi that a four years old child of ST Joseph School Otolo Nnewi was returning home from School in company of his siblings when two men on a motorcycle grabbed the child and zoom off with him.

“Alarm was raised by other children which attracted the attention of some commercial motorcyclists who pursued and eventually arrested the suspects and rescued the child at Akamili Community Nnewi.

“However, before the arrival of police patrol team to the scene, the two suspects were beaten to stupor by the angry mob but were eventually rescued by the police and taken to the hospital for medical attention.”

According to the police spokesman, one of the suspects whose identity is yet unknown was certified dead by a medical doctor on Friday while receiving treatment and the second one is still unconscious at the hospital. He said that the corpse of the suspect was deposited at the mortuary even as investigation continues.

“The Commissioner of Police CP Monday Bala Kuryas, while thanking the public for their courage in rescuing the child also urged them to always exercise restraint by not taking law into their hands whenever they arrest suspects to enable the police conduct discreet investigation in order to unravel more facts surrounding the incidents including sponsors of the dastardly acts and bring them to justice,” CSP Mohammed said.