By Emma Una

CALABAR—THE landlord of 20, Edim Otop Close, a suburb of Calabar, simply identified as Nyok, was yesterday afternoon along with two of his accomplices, set ablaze by a mob for allegedly snatching a phone from a lady.

An eyewitness, Idorenyin, who claimed the man was her landlord, told Vanguard that the man and his friends snatched a phone from a lady while she was returning to her house at Nyong Asi Street, close to Edim Otop, where the man owns a house.

According to Idorenyin, “the lady lives at Ekepnyong Asi, a lonely alley off Edim Otop, where residents, especially ladies, are often waylaid day and night. I did not know my landlord was one of the thieves.”

DSS OPERATIVES

She said the victim’s cry attracted the residents, who went after the thieves, caught up with them and brought them to the market around the area, Ura Nyim ebe, and set them on fire.

When Vanguard visited the scene of the incident, a large crowd had gathered and the bodies were still burning.

Ms Irene Ugbo, the Cross River State Police spokesman, said she was yet to be briefed on the incident.

… 3 die in Taraba violence

Three people were, yesterday, feared dead in a fresh communal clash that broke out in Gembu, Nguroje and other parts of Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The violence was suspected to be between the Kakas and Fulani ethnic groups.

Locals said that the crisis erupted yesterday morning after some youths took to the streets destroying property and smashing vehicles.

Nguroje is the hometown to many prominent politicians including former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Babangida Nguroje; former Deputy Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Bashir Abba, and Senator Abubakar Yusuf.

Since Saturday, there has been uneasy calm in and around Nguroje town, as security personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS, moved in to arrest some suspects, known to have been engineering unrest the area.