By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Three suspected members of a “one chance” robbery gang narrowly escaped being lynched by an angry mob in Abuja on Friday after allegedly attempting to dispossess a female passenger of her belongings.
The incident occurred at Chicken Junction, Wuse 2, when the victim boarded an unmarked taxi occupied by the suspects. According to eyewitnesses, shortly after entering the vehicle, the suspects allegedly demanded the victim’s phone and tried to force her to disclose her bank account details.
Sensing danger, the woman raised the alarm, attracting the attention of passersby who quickly flagged down the vehicle. The suspects were dragged out of the car and beaten with sticks and stones by the mob.
“It was when the woman shouted for help that people rushed and blocked the car,” a witness, Raymond Jonathan, recounted. “They tried to escape, but the mob caught them and started beating them.”
The situation, however, took another twist when police operatives arrived at the scene in a patrol van. The officers dispersed the crowd and forcefully rescued the suspects, taking them away for safety.
Confirming the incident, FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine, said operatives responded swiftly to a distress call in the early hours of Friday. She noted that two individuals were found lying on the ground at the scene and were rushed to the National Hospital for treatment.
She clarified that no arrests had been made but assured that investigations had commenced to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao S. Adewale, has directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Wuse Division to carry out a thorough probe. He also urged residents to remain calm and continue their normal activities, promising that updates would be provided as investigations progress.