By Peter Kelvin – DELTA
A mob has set ablaze a man who might have been wrongly suspected to be a ritualist.
The incident took place at Otokutu bridge in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Police say the suspect must have been a mad man.
The incident which occurred at about 3pm on Thursday caused panic and traffic gridlock on the DSC expressway.
The suspect has been posing as a mad man in the area in the past few months, a resident said.
The suspect whose identity could not be ascertained as at press time was said to have met his waterloo after he attacked and attempted to kill a motorist who was easing himself in a bush in the area.
The motorist who gave his name as Mr. Emmanuel Aghogo, claimed to have escaped the suspected ritualist’s attack, hence, drew the attention of youths in the area who invaded the bridge.
Sources said, ”the suspect had been posing as a mad man around the bridge in recent months.”
Youths and local vigilante found him with human skull and expensive phones, a resident of the area told our reporter at the scene of the incident after the police had evacuated the deceased.
”On sighting the youths, the suspect threw the phone he was using to make call into the river.
”The mob went further to check and saw additional phones, a human skull, a bottle of groundnut and a pack of bottle water in the suspect’s hideout.”
Our sources alleged that on interrogation, the suspect said he is a member of a gang of ritualists.
He was set ablaze when he refused to name other members of his gang, an eyewitness told our reporter.
It was learnt that police operatives who rushed down to rescue the suspect were resisted by the mob.
As at the time our correspondent visited the scene of the incident about 6:30pm onlookers were seen discussing the matter in groups.
This reporter who attempted to see the corpse and the human skull allegedly found with the suspect, was told that they have been evacuated by the police.
A team of police operatives were sighted at the scene of the incident. Otokutu Bridge has recorded notorious and high profile ritual killings and other criminal activities in the past.
Under the bridge has become a dreaded zone for both motorists and residents of Otokutu and Effurun.
When contacted, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke said, ”it is not true that he was a ritualist.
”We only have the report of a burnt dead body. The people who reported the case said the burnt body looked like that of a mad man.”
