Violent mob action cuts short civil servant’s life

A civil servant’s life was tragically cut short in a violent mob action that has sparked widespread concern and outrage in Abia State, Southeast Nigeria.

The incident has also highlighted the dangers of mob justice and the need for a more nuanced approach to addressing community issues, Persecondnews reports.

Uche Onyekaba, a staff member of Abia State Water and Sewage Corporation,
was lynched by a mob at Ukaonu Street by NEPA, Aba, for allegedly killing another man with a stone during an argument.

Onyekaba had reportedly picked a stone and hit the man, causing the victim to slump.

On noticing that the man had died, a mob of angry residents pounced on Uche Onyekaba and beat him to death.

Persecondnews gathered that Onyekaba had been experiencing difficulties with his salary payments, which may have contributed to his frustration and the subsequent altercation.

Confirming the incident, the
spokesperson for Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said the incident which happened at Ukaonu street, was reported to the police.

She said preliminary investigation showed that two men were fighting during which one man killed the other person before an infuriated mob lynched him.

“We have visited the crime scene, corpses of the victims have been evacuated, while investigation is ongoing.”