The victims, whose identities had yet to be officially confirmed as of press time, were reportedly linked to the murder of the traditional head of Kwallak community, Ponzhi Kwallak, who was attacked and killed in his home barely 24 hours earlier.
Tension erupted in the Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Friday night after three men accused of killing a traditional ruler were lynched and set ablaze by an enraged mob in a brutal act of jungle justice.
The victims, whose identities had yet to be officially confirmed as of press time, were reportedly linked to the murder of the traditional head of Kwallak community, Ponzhi Kwallak, who was attacked and killed in his home barely 24 hours earlier.
Sources within the community told newsmen that the late monarch was murdered on Thursday night when armed assailants invaded his residence, dispossessing him of his motorcycle, mobile phone, and other personal belongings before killing him.
The killing of the traditional ruler had thrown the quiet community into chaos, with grieving residents launching a frantic search for those responsible.
The situation quickly escalated as youths mobilised to track down the suspects.
It was gathered that the three men were later intercepted while attempting to dispose of the stolen motorcycle believed to belong to the slain monarch.
During questioning by locals, the suspects reportedly admitted their involvement in the crime. What followed was a breakdown of order.
An eyewitness recounted that although some members of the community initially sought to hand the suspects over to security agencies, the situation spiralled out of control when a larger group of agitated youths and hoodlums forcefully seized them.
“Members of the community caught the suspects where they wanted to sell the motorcycle and they confessed to the crime, before the angry mob descended on them and burnt them,” a source said, according to Daily Post.
The suspects were reportedly burnt alive near the Council Secretariat, as onlookers watched in horror and fear, highlighting the growing trend of mob justice in parts of the country.
Residents expressed mixed reactions over the incident, with some justifying the act as retaliation for the gruesome killing of the monarch, while others condemned it as lawless and dangerous.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ attempts to get an official response from the Plateau State Police Command failed as calls to the Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
The incident added to a worrying pattern of extrajudicial killings across Nigeria, where communities, frustrated by insecurity and perceived delays in the justice system, increasingly resort to taking the law into their own hands.
