Photo : Police Rescues Rice And Noodles Thief From Mob Beatings

But for the intervention of policemen in Ogombo, angry residents of Ikota, Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area of Lagos, would have lynched a suspected thief.

The suspect, Stephen Effiong, was stripped Unclad and beaten to a pulp, after he was allegedly caught stealing rice and other food items from people’s homes.

A police source yesterday confirmed to The Nation that the incident occurred at the Ikota Second Gate, on the Lekki – Epe Expressway, last Wednesday.

According to him, Effiong has been severally warned by residents to stop stealing their food stuffs and money.

He said the suspect at about 5am that fateful day, was caught removing items such as rice, noodles and vegetable oil from different homes.

Effiong was said to have cut the mosquito net on the doors of the homes he invaded to enter their stores while the owners were asleep.

The suspect was allegedly caught by one Uche, who observed a movement at the back of his house and decided to follow the suspect to the place he stored his loot.

Uche, it was learnt, raised the alarm and attracted other victims, who forced the suspect to return the stolen items to their homes.

According to a resident simply identified as Festus, the suspect had been warned on several occasions to stop, wondering what he does with the foodstuff.

“He has been doing this thing for some time. Most times people will catch him and warn him to stop but he doesn’t listen. The mob would have lynched him if the police had not arrived on time.

“They dragged him to the road, removed his clothes and beat him thoroughly. People were passing and cursing him. Fortunately, policemen were passing by and stopped on the scene. That was how he was saved from jungle justice,” he said.

A senior police officer told The Nation that the suspect has been charged to court.