By Olokuta Rofiat
A suspected motorcycle thief, Halidu Bala, was lynched by an angry mob on Saturday in the Dabi-Bako community of Kwali Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 4 p.m. near a forest in Bako village after Bala allegedly attempted to snatch a motorcycle from a commercial rider.
He was reportedly apprehended by locals, including vigilantes and fellow riders, and beaten to death before security agents could intervene.
The incident adds to a growing trend of mob justice in parts of the FCT, particularly in Kwali and Kuje Area Councils, where residents say motorcycle thieves are terrorizing rural communities.
In similar cases, suspected thieves caught in villages such as Kwaita and Gaube have been lynched by mobs.
A particularly brutal case was reported at the Kwali main market, where a suspect caught attempting to steal a motorcycle was beaten and set ablaze by marketgoers.
Residents attribute the rising wave of jungle justice to weak law enforcement and the failure of the justice system to prosecute suspected criminals.
Many allege that suspects are often released without trial. They also lament the lack of police presence in remote villages, forcing communities to resort to self-help.
Community leaders have called for increased security measures, including police checkpoints, better lighting, and collaboration with local vigilante groups to curb the menace of theft and mob killings.
The FCT Police Command has yet to comment on the latest lynching. Efforts to reach spokespersons SP Adeh Josephine and ASP Maryam Yusuf were unsuccessful as of press time.
