The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi, Umar Sanda has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the lynching of suspected thief at Chinade community in Katagum Local Government Area of the state.
A middle-aged man, whose identity had not been determined, was attacked by a mob who beat him to a pulp and later set him ablaze for alleged theft of a motorcycle on Sunday.
Sanda in a statement signed by the Spokesman of the command, SP Ahmed Wakili, described the mob action as barbaric.
He described the dehumanizing act of jungle justice meted out on the suspect by some irate youths as ”inimical to the law governing our country”.
“Instead of taking the suspect to the Police for proper investigation and prosecution, they mobbed the suspect for allegedly stealing a motorcycle without any recourse to the law.”
Sanda warned that the command, under his stewardship, would not allow some recalcitrant elements in the society to take the laws into their hands by killing suspects arrested for an alleged crime in such a dehumanising and unlawful manner.
He further warned that nobody had the right to treat a suspect in such a barbaric manner, stressing that it was wrong for anyone to assume the position of a law enforcement agency.
CP said that any suspect apprehended in connection with any crime should be immediately handed over to the Police or any law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution.
Sanda appealed to the public to be calm, as the Police Command was already mopping up those responsible for the gruesome act for possible prosecution.
