Mob lynches suspected motorcycle thief in Benue

A suspected armed motorcycle snatcher was reportedly lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, after allegedly robbing an Okada rider at gunpoint. Witnesses said the incident occurred on Sunday evening opposite Prime Power Filling Station in Ankpa Ward, shortly after the suspect reportedly snatched a motorcycle along Ahmadu Coomassie Road […]

A suspected armed motorcycle snatcher was reportedly lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, after allegedly robbing an Okada rider at gunpoint.

Witnesses said the incident occurred on Sunday evening opposite Prime Power Filling Station in Ankpa Ward, shortly after the suspect reportedly snatched a motorcycle along Ahmadu Coomassie Road in the Demekpe area of Makurdi metropolis.

According to witnesses, the victim raised an alarm after being forced off his motorcycle at gunpoint, prompting youths and fellow commercial motorcyclists in the area to pursue the suspect.

The chase reportedly ended near the filling station as the suspect attempted to cross the road while waiting for traffic from the Ankpa Quarter Junction to clear.

He was apprehended, tied with tyres, and set on fire before a police patrol team from ‘D’ Division arrived at the scene.

Our correspondent learnt that the motorcycle snatched during the attack was later recovered.

Speaking to journalists, the victim, Onoja Okendu, thanked God for sparing his life while lamenting the growing wave of motorcycle theft in Makurdi.

He said, “Some victims have lost their lives in similar attacks. I got this motorcycle on hire purchase for ₦2 million in October 2025. Losing it would have ruined me.”

Efforts to get reaction from the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to her phone were not returned as at the time of filing the report.