CITIZENS COMPASS –Two revenue collectors have met their Waterloo in Onitsha, Anambra State, as they were set ablaze by a mob.
The incident occurred on Saturday after the duo were accused of causing the death of a bystander.
The revenue collectors said to be working with the state government, were allegedly involved in an incident on Old Market Road along Venn Road by Egerton.
They were said to be chasing a truck driver for a fee, unfortunately this turned out to be their undoing.
As they went after the truck driver, their colleagues were said to have supported them to reportedly grab the truck steering thereby causing the driver to lose control as the truck rammed into a passerby, killing him on the spot.
A viral video captured the mob launching an attack on the revenue collectors and later set them on fire. A man who recorded the scene explained, “There was chaos in Onitsha this morning as an angry mob set ablaze two revenue touts, while four others were lucky as they managed to escape.
“The revenue collectors, numbering about six, were chasing the tipper driver over a payment they demanded. As they were chasing him, some of them were dragging the steering wheel, which caused the driver to lose control and hit a passer-by, killing him. When the revenue agents realized the consequences of their actions, they tried to flee, but the mob got furious and caught two of them, burning them alive while four managed to escape.”
A local trader added, “Onitsha was tense this morning at Egerton by the old market road. The revenue agents were fighting with a tipper driver because he refused to give them a bribe. In the scuffle, the vehicle ran over an innocent man, and when the touts tried to run, the angry crowd chased them down.”
The incident, including graphic images of the burnt bodies, has gone viral on social media, confirming the details of the attack.
Spokesperson, Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, saying that authorities acted quickly to control the situation. He stated, “Anambra Police responded swiftly to the fatal accident in that area. We are collaborating with the relevant authorities to understand what happened and to find solutions for similar incidents in the future. I will provide more details as soon as I gather more information.”
