According to preliminary reports, the victim was walking home after spending the evening at a local entertainment joint where he had been watching a football match.
Along the way, he encountered two women who later accused him of stealing from them. Witnesses say the situation quickly spiraled out of control after the women began shouting that they had been robbed, attracting the attention of passersby and residents in the area.
Several eyewitnesses told police that the man tried to explain himself and pleaded with the growing crowd to listen to his side of the story.
Several eyewitnesses told police that the man tried to explain himself and pleaded with the growing crowd to listen to his side of the story.
However, before any meaningful intervention could take place, members of the public descended on him, accusing him of being a thief.
He was reportedly beaten with crude weapons, suffering serious injuries to his limbs before being doused with a flammable substance and set on fire.
Friends and family members have strongly denied the theft allegations, insisting that the deceased was an honest and hardworking individual with no criminal history.
One of his colleagues, who worked with him at a local casino, stated that the victim had never been involved in any criminal activity, adding that their workplace conducts background checks on all employees before hiring.
The man’s wife, who is now left to raise their six-month-old baby alone, described the incident as devastating and painful.
The man’s wife, who is now left to raise their six-month-old baby alone, described the incident as devastating and painful.
She revealed that her husband had tried to identify himself to the crowd and even begged for mercy, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Family members say the young man was the sole breadwinner and had been working hard to provide for his young family.
Further accounts from the scene suggest that the two women who raised the alarm may have been involved in an attempted phone snatching.
Further accounts from the scene suggest that the two women who raised the alarm may have been involved in an attempted phone snatching.
Witnesses claim the man was actually chasing after the women who had taken his phone when they began shouting “thief,” prompting bystanders to attack him under the mistaken belief that he was the criminal.
Police have since cordoned off the area and launched a manhunt for suspects involved in the brutal killing. Officers are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby shops and buildings to piece together the events leading up to the attack.
Police have since cordoned off the area and launched a manhunt for suspects involved in the brutal killing. Officers are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby shops and buildings to piece together the events leading up to the attack.
Authorities are also seeking to identify the two women whose screams allegedly triggered the fatal mob action.
Law enforcement officials have once again condemned mob justice, warning members of the public against taking the law into their own hands.
Law enforcement officials have once again condemned mob justice, warning members of the public against taking the law into their own hands.
They emphasized that suspects should always be handed over to the police for proper investigations and due process, noting that innocent lives continue to be lost through false accusations and rushed judgments.
