BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Nemi Iwo has condemned the mob killing of a man accused of stealing a motorcycle in Ekpoma describing the act as unacceptable jungle justice that must not stand.
CP Nemi stated this in a statement endorsed by the command spokesman, SP Moses Joel Yamu and made available to journalists in Benin City today.
He also reported a significant decrease in crime rates in Edo over the past one month, attributing the positive trend to the diligent efforts of police personnel and the cooperation of the various communities in Edo.
“The CP frowned at the jungle justice recorded in Ekpoma yesterday, (Thursday) where a mob descended on a yet to be identified individual for allegedly stealing a motorcycle and appealed to the general public to desist from taking the law into their hands.
“The Edo State Police Command under the stewardship of CP Nemi Iwo, psc (+) has recorded a downturn in crime and other criminal activities within the last one month. This is based on the statistics of crime reported and crime cracked by the Command during the period under review.
“In the same vein, the Commissioner of Police attributed the successes recorded to the determination of the personnel of the Command and the cooperation received from the Peace-loving people of Edo State in area of giving out information to the Police”, it said.
It will be recalled that in a tragic incident in Ekpoma town, the administrative seat of Esan West local government area of Edo State, a suspected motorcycle thief was brutally killed by a mob on Thursday evening.
Eyewitnesses reported that the mob caught the suspect stealing a motorcycle near Alli Square and swiftly turned violent.
The mob allegedly doused the suspect with petrol and set him on fire, ignoring his pleas for mercy. The situation escalated quickly, and by the time police arrived, the man had already succumbed to his injuries.
The executive Chairman of the council Hon. Collins Aigbogun swiftly condemned the act and emphasized that such violence is unacceptable. He called for a thorough investigation into the events surrounding the attack, urging residents to avoid taking the law into their own hands.
