Scavenger mobbed over theft of car battery

A 24-year-old scavenger, identified as Usman was manhandled by an irate mob for allegedly stealing a car battery at Karmo village, an Abuja suburb.

A resident of the area, Salihu Bala, said the incident happened on Tuesday at about 11:12a.m.when the suspect allegedly used a spanner and removed a battery from a vehicle parked at the backyard of a house in the area.

He said the owner of the car, identified as Ibrahim, went out to invite a mechanic after the car developed fault, in which the scavenger who was loitering in the area removed the battery.

“In fact, the man was about going out when his car had a problem and he decided to park by the road side to call a mechanic. A boy ran to inform neighbours that a Yan- bola has removed the car battery and put it inside his truck,” he said.

He said some boys ran after the scavenger, caught up with him and started beating him up.

Bala said the owner of the battery was coming with a mechanic and met the crowd of people, in which he enquired and was told that the suspect removed his car battery, saying the man later appealled to the angry youth to allow the suspect to go since he was able to recover his battery.

When contacted, the FCT Police command Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Anjuguri Manzah, said he was not aware of the incident, even as he said he would enquire from the police division in the area.