An angry mob killed two men in Benue State over alleged theft.
One of the men, suspected of stealing, was hacked to death after reportedly attempting to rob a church near Modern Market in Makurdi.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, just days after another young man was beaten to death by angry youths for allegedly stealing a speaker in Tor-Donga, located in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of the state.
According to witnesses who spoke with Punch, the deceased and two accomplices allegedly broke into a church office, stealing valuables before attempting to flee.
Nearby residents spotted the suspects escaping, gave chase, and caught one, while the other two managed to escape.
One resident shared, “Although robbers have been terrorising us here for a while now, today, while I was coming back from work, a girl who was going to a church nearby said that she saw three young men enter the church.
“It was the girl who later raised the alarm, which drew the attention of neighbours around, and immediately we saw them (the suspects) trying to escape.
“While two of the suspects escaped, one of them was unlucky, as people hacked him to death.”
The body of the deceased was later taken by the police, who visited the scene.
Harry Ekwo, the Assistant Public Relations Officer for the State Command, confirmed the incident to the press, but noted that the police could not determine whether the deceased was involved in armed robbery.
“No one has made any formal report about a church theft. However, the police have removed the body and deposited it in the morgue,” he said.
