By Ike Uchechukwu

CALABAR—THERE was pandemonium, yesterday, at a newspapers stand on Atu Street in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State after a lifeless body of a middle-aged man was discovered in a nearby refuse dump.

Unconfirmed report claimed that the unidentified man was part of a robbery gang that usually terrorised Uwanse area and allegedly hacked to death by local vigilante.

Vanguard observed that the dead man had multiple machete cuts all over his body, including his head.

A resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Vanguard: “The people who caught him in our neighbourhood did not want the Police to handle it. They wanted immediate justice hence they decided to hack him to death.

“They wanted the body to be seen, that was why they dumped his body in the refuse heap at Atu Street. To be sincere with you, the boys (hoodlums) have dealt with us in this neighbourhood.

“We are happy with what happened to him because when they (hoodlums) meet you at home, you will regret the day you were born.”

A shop owner close to the refuse dump, Mr. Akpan Michael, said when he closed at about 11p.m. on Monday, but there was no corpse in refuse site, noting “I saw the dead body this morning (yesterday) at about 7a.m.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Irene Ugbo, said she was not aware, but will confirm and get back.