Man set ablaze for stealing a woman pot of soup

CALABAR—A mob in Calabar, Cross River State
capital, yesterday, butchered a young man and set the
remains on fire beside Atu Secondary School fence along
Goldie Street, for allegedly robbing a woman of a pot of
soup. His two accomplices escaped.
The hoodlum, in the company of two others, were alleged to
have attacked the woman at Mayne Avenue Extension in
Calabar South.

They were allegedly attracted by the aroma of the soup the
woman was warming for her family’s breakfast before
heading for early morning mass at nearby St. Bernard’s
Catholic Church.

A young man, who lives in the same premises with the lady,
said as the robbers were about to get out of the compound
with the pot of soup, the woman raised the alarm, prompting
neighbours to go after them. They caught up with the one
carrying the pot of soup and dealt him several machete cuts
before setting him ablaze.

An eyewitness said: “It was almost dawn when the boys
attacked the woman and carried away her pot of soup.

When they were about getting out of the compound, she
raised alarm and people came out, pursued and caught up
with one.”

He said the boy was not able to run as fast as his
accomplices because of the pot of soup he refused to drop.

The eyewitness said: “This is not the first time they have
come to our compound to steal. Last week, they removed the
car battery of one of our neighbours and once night falls,
they waylay people, especially ladies, around Goldie by Atu
and snatch their handbags and phones.”

At press time, there was no sign of security agents in the
area, while the burnt body was still lying by Atu Secondary
School fence.