Pandemonium erupted along the popular Ikoku Market in Port Harcourt’s Mile axis on Saturday when residents and passers-by discovered the lifeless body of an unidentified man, severely mutilated with multiple machete cuts.
Eyewitnesses reported that the man’s stomach was ripped open, and parts of his buttocks were severed.
His body was found in front of a new-generation bank near Ayama Junction on Olu-Obasanjo Road.
One resident commented on the brutal injuries, stating, “The machete cuts on the dead body suggest that the man may have been murdered.”
However, the Rivers State Police Command revealed that the man was a suspected criminal who was lynched by a mob after being caught allegedly committing a crime.
According to the police, responding officers identified the deceased as a known figure in several burglaries and similar offenses in the area.
Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, clarified the situation in a statement on Saturday evening.
She refuted rumors that parts of the man’s body were missing, explaining that after the mob discarded the body along the road, a fast-moving car struck the body, leading to further injuries.
Iringe-Koko also confirmed that the police have begun an investigation to understand the circumstances leading to the incident, with the aim of apprehending those responsible.
