Man beaten to death for stealing 3-year-old boy from IDP camp

Angry youths in Gwada community in Shiroro local government area of Niger state has beaten to death, a middle age man accused of stealing a three years old boy from the Internally Displaced People’s Camp in Gwada.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the deceased, a fruit seller in Zumba community also in Shiroro local government area, about 15 kilometers from Gwada, dressed like a woman and sneaked into the IDP camp and stole the child.

A source close to the IDP camp in Gwada said that luck ran out on the deceased when he was sighted by a woman in the camp who had gone out to buy some personal needs.

The woman who saw the little boy struggling with his captor while he was being smuggled through the back of the school being used as IDP camp, demanded to know where he was taking the boy to, and who he was.

The deceased it was gathered, on sensing danger, quickly dropped the boy and ran towards his motorcycle with which he wanted to transport his victim before the woman raised the alarm which attracted the attention of the youths.

He was however given a hot chase by the youths and was quickly rounded up and lynched by the youths who have been keeping vigil on the town over the security challenges facing the area as a result of the activities of gunmen.

The Chairman of Shiroro local government area, Mallam Suleiman Chukuba confirmed the incident, saying that “the security people called me yesterday (Sunday) to tell me that a man was killed for stealing a child from IDP camp in Gwada but am yet to be briefed on exactly what happened.

“You know there is serious security challenges in my area and the people are very vigilant, but like I said, I am yet to be briefed about the incident. It is true that someone was killed, that is all I can say for now,” he said.

Meanwhile a curfew imposed on Gwada, Zumba Kuta, the headquarters of the local government is still in place as there is no movement between the hours of 10:00pm and 5:00am in the morning.

The curfew was imposed as a result of the worsening security challenges in the area and to check the influx of people into these communities hosting over 9,000 IDPs.

(Daily Sun)