The Nigeria Police Force in Benue State has confirmed the arrest of two suspects in connection with the killing of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Mr. Benjamin Msughaondo.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Edet Udeme, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Makurdi, describing the incident as tragic and avoidable.
According to Udeme, the incident occurred around midnight on Sunday near the Major settlement, close to the Buruku Local Government Secretariat.
She explained that the deceased was allegedly accused by a group of hoodlums of stealing a motorcycle and was subsequently attacked by a mob without any form of verification.
“He was wrongly accused of stealing a motorcycle, and without verifying the claim, he was mobbed to death,” Udeme said.
The police spokesperson, however, revealed that preliminary investigations have shown that the allegation against the corps member was false.
“Documents relating to the motorcycle indicated that the deceased was its rightful owner,” she added.
Udeme confirmed that two suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the killing, while efforts are ongoing to track down other individuals involved in the act.
“One more suspect is still at large, and we are intensifying efforts to apprehend all those connected to this crime,” she said.
She assured that the command would conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice.
The police also urged residents to refrain from taking the law into their hands and to always report suspected crimes to security agencies for proper investigation.