Tension gripped the Mabushi area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Wednesday after three suspected park touts were lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob following the tragic death of a family of three.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the incident occurred on the Mabushi Bridge when the touts, allegedly linked to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), tried to extort money from the family. In the process, they reportedly forced their way into the vehicle and dragged the steering wheel from the driver, causing the car to crash.
The driver, his wife, and their young son reportedly died instantly.
Enraged by the tragedy, residents and passersby descended on the suspects. A video circulating online showed the men lying on the ground before being doused with petrol and set on fire by an unidentified individual.
In the footage, voices could be heard calling on the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to urgently ban AMAC touts from operating in the capital.
“This is what Amac agberos have caused here in Abuja. They keep harassing people and now a whole family has died because of them,” one eyewitness lamented. “They entered the man’s car, dragged the steering from him, and caused the accident. The FCT Minister needs to act fast. These touts must leave Abuja.”
As of the time of filing this report, the FCT Police Command had not issued an official statement on the killings or the mob action.
