Mob beats 2 suspected thieves for stealing melon in FCT market

A mob has reportedly beaten up two suspected hoodlums for allegedly stealing a bag of melon seeds in the Abaji main market in Abaki Area Council of the FCT. A witness, Adamu Usman, said the incident happened on Saturday at the market’s grains section. He said the two suspects, who pretended to be “agberos” (touts/union […]

A mob has reportedly beaten up two suspected hoodlums for allegedly stealing a bag of melon seeds in the Abaji main market in Abaki Area Council of the FCT.

A witness, Adamu Usman, said the incident happened on Saturday at the market’s grains section.

He said the two suspects, who pretended to be “agberos” (touts/union workers), attempted to carry a full bag of melon seeds belonging to a trader and escape, but were apprehended.

Usman explained that after taking the bag, the suspects went to hide it somewhere within the market when the owner discovered the theft and immediately raised an alarm.

“Actually, the two young men just came confidently as if they were sent, carried a bag of the melon and hid it somewhere within the market, probably with a plan to move it out later,” he said.

According to Usman, one of the traders discovered the way the two suspects moved the bag of melon and hid it close to his shop, which made the trader suspicious and prompted him to quickly raise an alarm.

“It was in that process the woman who owns the melon counted her bags and discovered that one bag was missing and the trader who saw the suspects immediately raised an alarm,” he narrated.

He confirmed the two suspects were arrested while trying to find a way to move the bag of melon out of the market.

“And before you know what was happening, a mob started beating them until the vigilante, who were alerted, quickly moved to the scene to rescue them,” he said.

A member of the vigilante group, Ibrahim Bala, who confirmed the incident, said the two suspects were freed after the owner of the melon seeds intervened. 

She asked the vigilante to free them since she had recovered her property.

“After rescuing the suspects from the mob, the woman who owns the melon later 

begged the vigilantes to free them, saying she had already recovered her melon,” he said.