A young man in Calabar unfortunately met his untimely end when a mob butchered him and set him on fire for stealing a pot of soup.
An angry mob in Calabar, Cross River State capital on Sunday, August 23, yesterday, butchered a young man and set the remains on fire beside Atu Secondary School fence along Goldie Street, for allegedly robbing a woman of a pot of soup.
His two accomplices were said to have escaped.
The hoodlum, in the company of two others, were alleged to have attacked the woman at Mayne Avenue Extension in Calabar South.
They were allegedly attracted by the aroma of the soup the woman was warming for her family’s breakfast before heading for early morning mass at nearby St. Bernard’s Catholic Church.
A young man, who lives in the same premises with the lady, said as the robbers were about to get out of the compound with the pot of soup, the woman raised an alarm, prompting neighbours to go after the thieves.
The mob caught up with the one carrying the pot of soup and dealt him several machete cuts before setting him ablaze.
An eyewitness said: “It was almost dawn when the boys attacked the woman and carried away her pot of soup. When they were about getting out of the compound, she raised alarm and people came out, pursued and caught up with one.”
He said the boy was not able to run as fast as his accomplices because of the pot of soup he refused to drop.
“This is not the first time they have come to our compound to steal. Last week, they removed the car battery of one of our neighbours and once night falls, they waylay people, especially ladies, around Goldie by Atu and snatch their handbags and phones, ” the eyewitness added.
At press time, there was no sign of security agents in the area, while the burnt body was still lying by Atu Secondary School fence.