A commercial motorcyclist was lynched and set ablaze by a mob in Gboko town, Benue State, after being wrongly accused of stealing a motorcycle.
The incident, which occurred over the weekend near the War U Sarwuan area close to Tofi Grammar School in Gboko Local Government Area, has left residents in shock and outrage.
Eyewitnesses said the victim, a commercial rider popularly known as an okada operator, was mistaken for a fleeing motorcycle thief.
The mob, in hot pursuit of the real suspect, reportedly intercepted the innocent rider after he lost control of his bike while making a sharp turn. His passenger was said to have fled the scene, leaving him behind.
Despite his pleas of innocence and presentation of identification, the mob descended on him.
One of the assailants allegedly struck him with a stone before the crowd set him ablaze.
A resident told Daily Trust that moments after the gruesome act, the true owner of the stolen motorcycle arrived and confirmed that the victim was not the thief.
He explained that the deceased had only bought the motorcycle two weeks earlier.
"He was a decent man, a husband and father of three," the resident lamented, describing the killing as a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Police operatives were said to have later arrived at the scene and evacuated the body around 10 p.m.
As of press time, the Benue State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
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