An irate mob burnt two suspected robbers to death along Ekpo Abasi, near Yellow Duke Street, in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State after they were allegedly discovered stealing a mobile phone.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to the press on Sunday in Calabar claimed the incident occurred when the suspects allegedly stole a phone from a resident and attempted to flee.
A resident in the region, Bassey Etim, said the suspects were attacked and captured by an irate mob who accused them of being part of a robbery group terrorizing the area.
He stated that the mob descended on the suspects and set them ablaze before security personnel could reach them and that both victims perished on the spot.
“This kind of incident is shocking. They have been terrorizing this area lately. They collect people’s phones and properties. This one, they robbed students of their phones, and today luck was not on their side.
“They stole people’s phones and wanted to run away, but they were caught. The people dealt with them, and they died on the spot,” he said.
Another resident, Effanga Effanga, condemned the mob attack on the suspects but said armed robberies involving phone theft were on the rise in the region.
He urged security personnel to help resolve the situation in the neighborhood.
“There is no justification in burning anyone. No matter the gravity of the crime. It is very pitiful to die because of an ordinary phone. You allow yourself to be in the news in a bad light.
“Though this phone theft has been a recurring thing in this part of the state, I want to call on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to flash their light around Ekpo Abasi and fish out those criminal elements in the area,” Effanga said.
The Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the incident in a statement released to journalists in Calabar on Sunday, saying preliminary information indicated that the two men were apprehended and attacked by a mob after being suspected of robbery.
The statement partly read, “The Cross River State Police Command is aware of an incident involving the death of two unidentified men along Ekpo Abasi, near Yellow Duke in Calabar South LGA, in the early hours of today, 30 August 2026.”
He mentioned that the command received information about the mob action and immediately deployed operatives to the scene, where the two persons suspected to be robbers were found burnt and their bodies evacuated.
“Police operatives visited the scene, documented the incident, and commenced preliminary investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and identify the deceased.
“The remains have been evacuated from the scene with the assistance of the relevant local government authorities for appropriate preservation,” ASP Eitokpah said.
The police spokesperson criticized the act of jungle justice and advised the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, instead reporting suspected criminals to the nearest police station for proper investigation and prosecution.
“The command urges members of the public to desist from jungle justice and always hand suspected offenders over to the police or other lawful authorities for investigation and prosecution.
“No individual has the right to take the law into their own hands. Further details will be provided as the investigation progresses,” the statement read.
