From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Two robbery suspects who were apprehended after allegedly robbing a woman of her Android phone in Akuma Community in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, have been set ablaze by irate mob.
The incident occurred Sunday evening at Afor Akuma Market square, where the woman had gone to buy something.
According to eyewitnesses, the suspects and another member of their gang, operated on a motorcycle.
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased robbery suspects were said to have stopped in front of the woman and ordered that She should hand over to them her Android phone to them.
But, the woman it was said refused and instead raised an alarm which alerted the villagers despite the fact that one of the robbers pointed a gun at her.
The villagers, most of who were watching football from a nearby viewing center, mobilized against the robbers and attacked them.
The robbers were said to have been emboldened by their ‘odeshi’ charms, which made them withstand gunshots from some vigilante operatives.
While one of them managed to escape, the unlucky two were nabbed, beaten to a pulp and then dragged to the market square where they were set on fire by the mob.
The robbers who were said have operated from Umutanze Community in Orlu Local Government Area and were notorious for robbing a Bet9ja outlet and other business centers in the community of huge sums of money in recent months.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Orlando Ikeokwu, told our correspondent that he was yet to get information about the incident.