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PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:30 am on Wednesday, when the two robbers on motorcycle tried to overpower a PoS attendant, who was dispensing cash to customers at Ikot Oku Ikono, on the outskirt of Uyo, the state capital.
It was gathered that the suspects ran out of luck, when the alarm raised by the PoS attendant caught the attention of angry youths, who immediately set fire on them before the arrival of Police operatives
An eyewitness, Nyenime Effiong said “they thought their operation would be swift, but it turned to be end-of-the-road for them. They arrived on motorcycle and the one on the passenger seat alighted and suddenly accosted the PoS operator with a gun and demanded for cash.
“She immediately screamed at the sight of gun, but in a swift reaction, some commercial minibus and tricycle drivers with other angry youths trooped to the scene, chased the thieves to where they were overpowered.
“Before the motorcycle rider, who was still steaming the bike while waiting for his fellow accomplice to get the cash from the attendant could escape, he was apprehended before he could speed away”, he explained.
It was gathered that the criminals, who actualize their notorious activities using motorcycles are also in the habits of targeting pump attendants at filling stations and supermarkets on the metropolis.
It was also gathered that the youths have formed some vigilante groups in some crime-prone streets on the capital. including Ibiam, Atiku Abubakar, Ikpa road, Urua Ekpa, Ikot Oku Ubo and other adjoining streets to cut down the increasing crime rate.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Superintendent of Police, Mr. Odiko Macdon condemned the act saying that jungle justice has no place in criminal justice administration
He said, “The proper thing should have been for them to be apprehended and handed over to the police. But they took the law into their hand. An innocent person might be killed, lynched or wounded. So the best thing is to hand the person to the police.
“You cannot be the complainant, the police, the prosecutor, the judge in a matter of such nature. It’s becoming rampant and unacceptable. The Commission of Police is miffed by such development and he has said that henceforth such act will not be tolerated.”
