23-Year-Old Man Beaten by Mob for ‘Stealing’ Pot of Rice in FCT

In the Kango community of the Kuje Area Council within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a 23-year-old scavenger named Nura faced mob justice after being accused of stealing a pot of rice.

According to local resident Ayuba Iliya, the incident took place on Tuesday at around 11:23 AM. Nura allegedly took a pot of rice from a compound while it was still on the fire. The pot’s owner, a woman named Margaret, had left it unattended to fetch water from a neighbor’s borehole. Upon returning, she discovered the pot missing and raised the alarm.

A witness reported seeing Nura park his truck, enter the compound, and remove the pot of rice. “He took away the pot of rice and kept it inside his truck, not knowing that a neighbor was watching him. He raised the alarm that attracted the attention of some people, who rushed to catch and beat him up,” Iliya explained.

The mob’s assault on Nura was interrupted by the intervention of vigilant residents and local security personnel, who managed to rescue him.

This incident is not isolated. Residents have been reporting the mysterious disappearance of their cooking pots and water drums, often suspecting scavengers. Just last Sunday, a similar theft occurred in Unguwar Sabon-Tasha in Abaji, where suspected scavengers reportedly stole six large cooking pots and spoons.

The FCT police command’s spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine, has yet to confirm the incident as of the time this report was filed.