A 32-year-old woman had been roasted to death over an alleged stealing of motorcycle by her boyfriend in Obudu local government area of Cross River State.
The victim, Miss Vivian, a graduate of Federal College of Education (FCE) Obudu was said to have harboured the suspect who was alleged to have murdered a commercial motorcycle operator with a view to collecting his motorcycle.
An eyewitness, who declined identifying himself, said the victim was set ablaze as her boyfriend that was alleged to have absconded after stealing a motorcycle in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.
He said that the Vivian, popularly known as China in Obudu, was roasted on Saturday on allegation that her boyfriend was involved in the murder of Peter Akikieye, a commercial motorcyclist from Obudu.
Akikieye was allegedly murdered when some persons attempted to forcibly collected his motorcycle on the 23rd of December 2018, along Bishiri road, Obudu.
“I came out of my house this morning and saw some boys beating up China and asking her of her boyfriend. I identified some of the boys to be cultists belonging to the KKs.
“They told the girl to call her friend. She took her phone, tried to reach her friend but it was not successful. So they told her that if her friend does not come out, they will burn her and just like play, they did it.
“They dragged her and kept beating her from her house till they got to the cyclists’ park and a big crowd of more than 500 persons gathered and watched her being burnt alive.”
The witnessed alleged that the Police were on ground but couldn’t save Vivian. “I was there live and saw it all. Two well-known police officers were standing beside me watching the whole scenario.
“Most of us from the opposing view; our opinion didn’t count because we were so little compared to those who were chanting the burning anthem.
“It took up to an hour before she was finally burnt,” a source said.
But the Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Irene Ugbo lamented the mob attack and roasting to death of the victim.
Speaking to DAILY POST on phone, Ugbo said the victim harboured the suspect in her house and when the angry mob made up of Obudu youths invaded the compound, they pounced on the victim while the suspect absconded.
“The woman was roasted to death by the youths of the community, they couldn’t get to the suspect and they pounced on the lady that harboured him in her house. The suspect was her friend”.
She said that the youths alleged that the suspect (absconded) involved in various heinous crimes in the area including cultism, “he absconded when the angry youths went to her friend’s house where he took refuge.
“The angry mob attacked the woman, gave her thorough beating, and roasted her to death. Some suspects have been arrested and they would be prosecuted in law court soon,” she stated.
She recalled that the Police Command had severally warned mobs not to take the law into their hands but they ignored it, “Sadly, by the time the Police got to the place, the harm had been done,” the PPRO said.
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