Police in Sapele, Delta State, have arrested two women and several vigilante members for allegedly beating and setting a 20-year-old boy, Abubakar Yusuf, ablaze. The incident occurred after Yusuf was accused of stealing ₦400,000 from a lockup store at the Sapele Main Market.
According to sources, the store owner, Mrs. Onoriode, accused Yusuf, a wheelbarrow pusher at the market, of stealing the money from her store. She called in vigilantes, who took Yusuf away, beat him severely, and later set him on fire.
However, it was later revealed that Onoriode’s sister had taken the money for safekeeping, exonerating Yusuf of the theft. After the vigilantes released Yusuf, Onoriode and some market women reportedly took him to a local chemist for treatment.
A human rights group, led by Comrade Kingsley Imode, has since taken up the case and reported it to the police. A police source confirmed the arrest of the two women and the vigilante team involved in the incident.
The police have vowed to investigate the matter thoroughly to ensure justice is served. Abubakar Yusuf is currently receiving treatment at Sapele Central Hospital.
