Two people have been arrested for involvement in a recent mob lynching that resulted in the death of a suspected phone thief in Anambra State.
This was made known on Friday by DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, saying the perpetrators would be charged with murder.
Ikenga also stated that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Aderemi Adeoye cautioned residents against taking laws into their hands in the event of crime.
The CP warned that the command would no longer condone situations where people engage in jungle justice by lynching suspects to death without trial.
He described any mob lynching of crime suspects as bestial and worse than their victims.
“Someone steals a phone, and a mob kills him. The sentence for stealing a phone is three years imprisonment.
“Those who lynch commit murder, which carries the death penalty because the Courts have not delegated anyone outside the judiciary to try, convict and execute suspects,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command has arrested four armed robbers and recovered ammunition and drugs.
A statement by the Command disclosed that, acting on credible intelligence, operatives stormed Kelubia Street, Agbor-Obi, where they apprehended four suspects: Ogbolu Peter ‘m’, Justice Nmor ‘m’, Precious Odilu ‘m’, Queen Mba ‘f’, all of Agbor community.
Preliminary investigation led to the search of their premises during which two locally made cut-to-size guns, one AK-47 magazine loaded with five rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, three rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, two live cartridges, two Vikings secret cult berets, and 10 wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, were recovered.
Similarly, members of the Police Crack Squad received information about cult activities in Ogwashiukwu, cordoned off the premises and arrested one Chigozie John ‘m’, aged 36 years, and recovered one locally made cut-to-size gun with one live cartridge. The suspect admitted being a member of Aro Bagger Confraternity.
DSP, Edafe Bright, Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Delta Command, in the statement, disclosed that the suspects and the recovered exhibits are in police custody.
The PPRO added that investigation has commenced while efforts are being made to arrest other members of the criminal gang.