Benue: Suspected Motorcycle Snatcher Beaten and Burned by Mob in Makurdi
Story: written by zuh Rita January 12,2026
A suspected motorcycle snatcher was on Sunday beaten and set on fire by an enraged crowd near the Prime Power filling station in Makurdi, Benue State.
According to sources, the incident occurred after the suspect allegedly forcefully seized a motorcycle from an okada rider along Ahmadu Commisi Road in the Demekpe area of the state capital. The rider raised the alarm, rallying local youths who pursued the suspect through several streets before intercepting him at the fuel station.
A local youth, who identified himself as Tony, described the chase: “After snatching the motorcycle, the thief tried to escape, but the youths chased him. He was caught waiting to cross the road as vehicles coming from Ankpa Quarter Junction blocked his path. Once he was caught, the boys brought tyres from a nearby workshop and set him ablaze before a police patrol from ‘D’ Division could arrive.”
The motorcycle owner, Onoja Okendu, thanked God for surviving the ordeal. He explained that he purchased the bike under a hire-purchase agreement for N2 million in October 2025. Recounting the attack, he said:
“I was coming from Wadata through NKST sharp bend towards Modern Market when the young man stopped me. Because it was Sunday, I thought he was coming out of church. He climbed onto my bike, then moved towards Demekpe Primary School. Suddenly, he pulled out a gun and demanded I run. I shouted ‘Thief! Thief!’ while running. Other riders and people around the petrol station blocked him from escaping onto the main road.”
Okendu appealed to the government and security agencies to increase surveillance, noting that armed motorcycle snatching continues in broad daylight despite restrictions on night operations.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned at the time of reporting.
