Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Police in Anambra State Wednesday recovered a burnt dead body found in a waste dump at Iyiowa Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area of the State.
Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement he made available to journalists in the state.
The body is believed to be that of a suspected criminal who was caught by an angry mob in the area and set ablaze.
The statement said the deceased may have been a member of a gang that specializes in stealing car batteries.
“Police Operatives attached to the Atani Divisional Police Headquarters while on patrol today 7th May 2025 by 12.30 pm recovered a burnt dead body in a waste dump at Iyiowa Odekpe. The discovery is allegedly a suspected victim of jungle justice.
“Preliminary findings revealed that the deceased with the gang members specializes in stealing Car batteries. It was alleged that the victim was caught and set ablaze in the early hours of today by an angry mob after their criminal operations in the area, while other gang members escaped the scene,” Ikenga said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has condemned the mob action, urging residents to exercise restraint and allow the law to take its course.
“We condemn the actions of some members of the public who resort to jungle justice without recourse to the police for proper investigation,” the CP said.
“We urge Ndi Anambra and residents alike to always exercise restraint by not taking the law into their hands,” he added.
The commissioner reassured that the command is committed to investigating crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice through due process.
