*Three burnt alive as sympathisers engage in self-help
*Another wrestle steering with driver in Area Eleven
It was a deadly Wednesday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a family of five had their lives abruptly terminated at the Mabushi District, near the Federal Ministry of Works headquarters, after three arms-welding touts, locally known as agbero, allegedly hired by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), wrestled the steering wheel of a vehicle, in a manner akin to armed robbery.
The owner of the car, an SUV, who felt the operatives were car snatchers, in a bid to escape, plunged his vehicle into the road divide, terminating the lives of all the occupants of the vehicle, who were his family members.
However, reacting to the bizarre incident, the touts were subsequently set ablaze by a mob of standby persons for causing the deaths of a man, his wife, their son and another family member.
Eyewitnesses said the tragic incident occurred when the touts allegedly dragged the steering wheel of the SUV from the driver of the family car, either to snatch or damage the vehicle, leading to the fatal accident on the Mabushi Bridge.
The entire family reportedly died on the spot, according to eyewitnesses.
In a video making the round, the three suspects were arrested by the mob and seated on the ground, before an unidentified individual doused them with petrol and set them on fire.
A voice in the video was heard calling on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to intervene and ban AMAC touts from operating in Abuja, citing repeated incidents of harassment and violence.
The video narration stated: “This is what AMAC agberos have caused here in Abuja.
“They are causing a lot of harm. It’s high time we did something about it. Seriously. The entire family died because of agbero.
“Imagine, they chased this man, entered his car, and dragged the steering from his hand. The man died, his wife died, and his son died.
“The FCT Minister needs to take action. AMAC agberos must leave Abuja roads and streets.”
In another development, the Editors of this newspaper witnessed how another set of touts held on to the steering wheel of another vehicle along the Area Eleven – Apo Road, swerving the vehicle from one end of the road to the other side.
The incident happened around 5.00pm, before the driver and the touts ended at the entrance gate of the NNPC Staff Quarters in Area Eleven, where they were halted by Providence.
However, unlike the Mabushi incident, three of the touts were thoroughly beaten up by passersby, who sat them down beside the gate, until the Editors left the scene.
One of the eyewitnesses told our Editors that “the dangerous manner this incident happened suggested they were car thieves trying to to snatch the young man’s car, but who held on to his steering, and they were swerving it from one end of the road to the other, until holdup in front of the NNPC Staff Quarters halted the movement.
“We had to sit them down and we are interrogating them to ascertain whether they are actually from AMAC or mere criminals, before determine what to do to them.”
Meanwhile, as of filing this report, the FCT Police Command have yet to make an official statement on the killings, the mob actions, so-called AMAC Revenue Collectors menace on FCT roads.
