mob in the Dei Dei area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday evening attacked five officers attached to the Gwagwa police division and destroyed their van.
The officers were said to have gone to rescue one Mubarak, who was almost lynched over an allegation of manhood disappearance.
It was gathered that a yet-to-be-identified man had raised alarm that his manhood disappeared after coming in contact with the suspect.
An eyewitness who did not want to be named, told The Punch on Friday that the mob beat the suspect in order to get him to restore the alleged missing manhood.
According to him, the arrival of the police worsened the matter as the mob also attacked the policemen and destroyed their vehicle, while refusing to release the suspect to them.
The eyewitness said, “On Thursday evening at Dei-Dei Timber market, a man called Mubarak was attacked by an angry mob after a man said his manhood went missing after having contact with him. He cried out for help and some people gathered round Mubarak. He was beaten and almost lynched when about five policemen came to the scene to rescue him. All efforts by the police to ensure that the mob released Mubarak to them fell on deaf ears.
“The mob then turned to the policemen and destroyed their vehicle. Those who escaped, called their office and they reinforced to the place. The whole area was tensed yesterday and we are not even sure what would happen next. This manhood issue is getting out of hand now, it is time we do something about it,” he pleaded.
Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident saying, “Our men deployed to the scene to rescue the man was attacked. Reinforcement was immediately deployed. Normalcy has been restored to the area. Lawful citizens can go about their activities without fear.”
She added that “The CP condemned in strong terms the attack on policemen. He has ordered those involved should be arrested. We are for the umpteenth time warning against mob attacks, particularly on the issue of organ disappearance. We have arrested 14 people involved, and we will continue to do so.”