The police in Anambra state have rescued three persons from being lynched to death by an irate mob over their link with ritual murder of two persons in Ihiala local government area of Anambra State.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)of the Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu said in a statement to newsmen in Awka on Thursday that operatives by 10am on Wednesday 7/6/2023 rescued two victims and a suspect, who was about to be lynched by an angry mob at the total junction, ihiala.
He also refuted the reports in some quarters that the suspects were arrested over murder of the two victims, a man and woman, for ritual purpose.
Residents of Ihiala town during the incident had erupted in a protest over the ritual murder of two persons by the three suspects.
The apprehension of the alleged ritualists was made possible by the villagers of Ihiala town following an information by an unidentified person, a development that made the angry mob
to swoop on the suspects in their hideouts where they were caught.
A viral video on social media had shown the crowd of protesters forcing the suspects to carry the bodies of the two victims in a wheelbarrow while the three suspects were stripped stark naked.
But the state police command said , “To set the records straight is not a case of ritual killing but a pure incident of murder. Preliminary information reveals that the two victims a man and a woman who were humiliated and paraded as shown in the video by the angry mob were erroneously accused by the mob as they were seen at the scene where the murder took place.”
According to Ikenga, “Also, both the suspect and victims are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. While the deceased has been deposited in a morgue.
The Commissioner of Police CP Echeng Echeng while reacting to the incident sued for calm and ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka for a comprehensive investigation.
The command state that further developments on the matter shall be communicated.
