A 23-year-old man from Benue State was, on Monday, killed by an angry mob as they meted out jungle justice to him for allegedly attempting to use a four-year-old girl for ritual in Awka, Anambra State capital.

The deceased, simply identified as Samuel and a driver with a private school in the area, was said to have attacked the little girl in her mother’s shop while she (the mother) was out of the shop to buy lunch.

Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Ginika Eze, an indigene of Alumona-Nsukka, Enugu said: “That man’s mission was to kill my daughter for ritual purposes.

“I brought my daughter to stay with me at the shop so as at to keep eye on her since her school was on mid-term break.

“When she complained she was hungry and wanted to eat beans with bread for lunch, I dashed to a nearby shop to buy the items. It was not long when my attention was drawn to my shop where I saw my daughter struggling with a man almost half naked.

“I rushed back and saw him kissing my daughter and fondling her breast, while muttering, “I must drink your blood.”

“I had to raise alarm as the man was already kissing her all over her face and was about to defile her.

“Luckily, some boys within the area ran to the scene of the incident and started dragging my daughter with him. By then, blood was already dropping from her face as the man held her tight in his arms.”

Mrs. Eze said the boys succeeded in releasing her daughter from the man’s grip before she rushed her to a hospital where she is being treated.

An eyewitness who spoke on condition anonymity said the deceased was shouting for blood and was about to suck the girl’s blood before he was lynched. He said the father of the deceased had already been contacted.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Haruna Mohammed, while confirming the incident, said the deceased must have acted under the influence of some hard drugs.

He said: “He captured the four-year-old girl and was molesting her sexually before he was arrested by some civilians who carried out jungle justice on him.

“When the police arrived the scene, the boy, who was probably in his late 20s, was lying motionless on the ground while his assailants had dispersed.

“He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead. Investigations are still on to ascertain what transpired and to arrest perpetrators of the crime.”

The PPRO said the victim was responding to treatment adding that the police is yet to make any arrests.

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