By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Warri
DELTA: A mob in Mosogar, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, has killed two young men accused of kidnapping, triggering concerns over escalating tensions between the Mosogar and Oghara communities.
Sources said the suspects were forcibly taken from the Mosogar Divisional Police Station before being beaten and set ablaze by an enraged crowd.
As fears of reprisal attacks grow, local leaders have called for calm. Traditional rulers of both communities have been urged to convene meetings to prevent further violence.
Security agencies are now on high alert, with reinforcements deployed to maintain law and order in Ethiope West.
The incident has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with some individuals using the situation to incite unrest.
Confirming the development, the Delta State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, described the act as unlawful and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
“We are on the trail of the vigilante leader and the community leader who masterminded the mob action. Some vigilante members from Mosogar had gone to Ijomi, an Oghara community, and abducted three individuals, claiming they were kidnappers. One escaped and sought refuge at a police station, but the other two were overpowered by the mob and killed,” Edafe said.
The killings have sparked outrage among Oghara residents, with the Oghara Elite Forum condemning the extrajudicial execution and calling for urgent intervention by security agencies.
In a statement by the forums President General, Jacob Ighere,warned that, “The manner in which Mosogar youths invaded Ijomi, took the deceased by force, and slaughtered them extra-judicially is unacceptable. If not handled carefully, this could lead to communal violence”.
The group urged the Delta State Commissioner of Police and local government authorities to intervene immediately to prevent reprisals and maintain peace.
Meanwhile, some Mosogar residents argue that the community has been a frequent target of kidnappers, with victims suffering both physically and financially.
A community member who do not want his name print said, “We have lost many of our people to kidnappers, yet nothing is done. The police must investigate all aspects of this case, including those who failed to speak up when kidnappers were known”.