A mob on Wednesday set ablaze a suspected member of a gang of rapists that has been terrorising Ughelli and its neighbouring communities in Delta State.
In the past two weeks, four ladies including a wife of a popular hotelier in the area had been raped by suspected members of the gang.
Luck, however, ran out on a suspected member of the group on Wednesday morning, when he allegedly tried to rape a salesgirl at Adagharagba junction near the Ughelli Central Market.
It was gathered that the suspect was apprehended by residents around 11:30am during the ill-fated rape attempt.
A resident of the area who witnessed the incident said that several people had been killed and raped in the area by a group of young men who targeted sales girls and female traders within Ughelli and its environs.
The witness said the suspect confessed that he belonged to an armed gang that rape and attack girls in the city before he was set ablaze.
The suspect, who said he hailed from Oroahakpor community in Ethiope West Council area of the state, allegedly disclosed that other members of the group fled on sighting the angry crowd.
Another eye witness, who also spoke anonymously, said, “The hoodlums pretended to be customers buying things in bulk hence they were allowed entering the store. But surprisingly, the next thing we heard was the screaming of the salesgirl and we immediately rushed in to found her already attacked in her pool of blood.
“Following the attack, the mob pursued the suspects until one of them was caught at Omotor Junction where he was set ablaze by angry mob before the arrival of security agents.”
