Mob k!ll motorcyclist mistaken for thief in Benue

A commercial motorcyclist was reportedly lynched and set ablaze by a mob in Gboko town, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State after being wrongly accused of stealing a Bajaj motorcycle.

Witnesses said that the incident occurred at the weekend near War U Sarwuan area close to Tofi Grammar School, where the victim was allegedly mistaken for a motorcycle thief.

The witnesses said the commercial motorcyclist, popularly known as an Okada rider, was overtaken by the mob who were pursuing a thief.

He was said to have lost control of his motorcycle during a sharp turn while attempting to escape the mob, during which his passenger fled, leaving him behind with the bike.

A resident said that despite his pleas of innocence and presentation of identification, the mob attacked him, and one individual allegedly struck him with a stone before he was burnt to d3ath.

However, shortly after the k!lling, the actual owner of the motorcycle arrived and confirmed that the victim was innocent, stating that the bike had only been purchased two weeks earlier.

He described the deceased as a responsible husband and father of three children.

The resident told Daily Trust on the telephone that police operatives later evacuated the body around 10 pm.