CITY NEWS Man, 24, mobbed over attempt to steal car battery at Madalla

Two injured in Abuja tanker explosion

A24-year-old man, Bashiru Aliyu, was mobbed by some youths for allegedly attempting to steal a car battery at Madalla, Niger State.

A member of the vigilante group in the area, who preferred anonymity, confided in our reporter that the incident happened at noon yesterday near Madalla market.

He said a pastor alighted from his Toyota Camry car by the road side and went to a nearby shop to buy water as the vehicle was overheating.

He said while the car owner was at the shop, the suspect allegedly attempted to remove the car battery.

“In fact, he didn’t know there was a man watching him at some distance when he brought out pliers and a spanner to remove the car battery. The man raised alarm which attracted a crowd to the scene,” he said.

He added that when the man raised alarm the suspect immediately took to his heels but he was immediately apprehended and was beaten up by the mob.

City News learnt that vigilantes intervened and the suspect was saved.

When the owner of the vehicle came, who appeared to be a pastor, and saw the way the man was beaten up, he appealed that he be allowed to go,” he said.

When contacted, the Madalla Divisional Police Officer (DPO), SP Abdulkarim Ibrahim, said he was not aware of the incident, adding that he was transferred out of the division last week. A driver and his conductor were injured when the fuel tanker they were driving caught fire at Life Camp Roundabout, Abuja yesterday.

Witnesses said the fire which started at about 1p.m. lasted for more than three hours. The tanker said to be loaded with diesel skidded off the road and went up in flames.

The incident led to traffic gridlock for more than four hours.

A witness, Emmanuel Micah, who works at a horticulture garden by the roadside said all he heard was a loud explosion as the tanker caught fire almost immediately after it skidded.

He said the driver and conductor were rescued residents.

Another witness, Lucky Uwagbo, said one of the victims was severely burnt while the other sustained injury to his hand, though he could not disclose the hospital they were taken to for treatment.

He said it took fire fighters about three hours before putting out the fire.

The Acting Comptroller of the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, Opetunsin Julius, could not respond to enquiry by City News as at press time as he said the officers ‘were still battling with the fire.’ the by