2nd January, 2019
An unfortunate 32-year-old graduate of Federal College of Education, FCE, Obudu, was reportedly roasted to death for allegedly harbouring her boyfriend, who reportedly murdered a commercial motorcycle operator (Okada) with a view to snatching his motorcycle.
An eyewitness told Vanguard that the victim was set ablaze because her boyfriend, who was alleged to be part of a syndicate that specializes in stealing a motorcycle in Obudu LGA and its environs was recently involved in the murder of one Peter Akikieye and also dispossessed him of his motorcycle.
According to the witness, “Vivian, popularly known as China in Obudu, was roasted on the allegation that her boyfriend was involved in the murder of Peter Akikieye, a commercial motorcyclist from Obudu.
“Akikieye was murdered when some persons attempted to forcefully collect his bike on the 23rd of December 2018 along Bishiri Road Obudu.
“I came out of my house this morning and saw some boys beating up China and asking her of the boyfriend. I identified some of the boys to be cultists belonging to the Klans, KK.
“They asked the girl to call her boyfriend. She took her phone, tried to reach her friend but it was not successful. So they told her that if her friend does not come out, they will burn her and just like that they beat her blue-black and set her ablaze.
“They dragged her and kept beating her from her house till they got to the cyclists’ park and a big crowd of more than 500 persons gathered and watched her being burned alive.
“Most of us from the opposing view, our opinion didn’t count because we were so little compared to those who were chanting the burning anthem.
“It took up to an hour before she was totally burnt,” the source said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, who lamented the mob attack and roasting to death of the victim, said the issue was a case of misplaced priority because the victim was just a friend to the real criminal.
Ugbo said the victim harboured the suspect in her house and when the angry mob made up of Obudu youths invaded the compound, they pounced on her while the suspect absconded.
According to him, “the woman was roasted to death by the youths of the community. They couldn’t get to the suspect and they pounced on the lady that harboured him (suspect) in her house. The suspect was her boyfriend.”