Angry mob beat suspected pickpocket to coma in Delta

*Goat Thieves On The Rise In Okpanam Community
Angry mob yesterday at the popular Ogbeogonogo Market, Asaba Delta State, allegedly lynched a suspected pickpocket.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours, saw the suspect remove money from the bag of his victim, but luck ran out of him, when the lady noticed, and raised the alarm. This attracted market women/men to the scene.

Speaking to our reporter, the victim (name withheld), said: “The suspect suddenly removed the N1, 500 from my bag, and I shouted for help and he was caught and was beaten up.”

It was also learnt that N1, 500 was recovered in the pocket of the suspect who allegedly confessed he was looking for money to buy food.

Martin Oyimare, one of the traders, said: “We caught the suspect with the N1, 500 and before we knew it, he had been beaten by the market security operatives, and we took him to a nearby hospital, where he later gained consciousness before he was handed over to the police at “A” Division.”

Police detectives in Asaba recently arrested some suspected pickpockets who are currently being interrogated.

Meanwhile, confusion is reigning in Okpanam community, near Asaba over alleged 60 missing goats.

It was gathered that from September to date, several cases of missing goats have unsettled the people of the community.

A resident recounted: “I was sleeping in my house at Idigbe-Ocha Village, Obodogwugwu Quarters, Okpanam, when I heard some movements within my compound at about 3:00am last Monday, when I peeped through my window, I discovered that they parked a pick-up van between my compound and the next house near the road to facilitate their escape with goats they have stolen.”

The thieves who recently invaded the Okpanam community, mainly target goats and sheep as fast moving business, particularly in these Christmas/New year periods where festivities’ makers jostle for meat to buy.

A big goat for instance, sells for N89, 000 to N90, 000, while others range between N75, 000 and N80, 000. But the police officers at the Okpanam Police Division who did not want their names in the print, confirmed that there have been several reports about missing goats in the area, adding that they were committed to fishing out the thieves soonest.

Michael Okwe whose goats were on Wednesday allegedly stolen said: “I have thirteen goats, they are big ones, I woke up the following day, four of the goats have been stolen, we must do something about this situation, it is unfair, the thieves are within us.”

Almost on daily basis, there have been reported cases of stolen goats from all the nooks and crannies of the community, and all the cases involved suspected thieves with guns and dangerous weapons, using vehicles to convey the stolen goats during the odd hours of the night.

Some people whose goats suddenly disappeared at night alleged that it appears that apart from suspected reports of armed movement, the people generally believed that the goat robbers were operating in the spiritual realm, as the residents hardly hear their footsteps or noise at night.

A particular village in Obodogba Quarter has recently gone to place a curse in their shrine for the goat robbers.