Crowd sets fire to man accused of destroying electrical equipment in Calabar

A dramatic scene unfolded in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, as a suspected electricity transformer vandal was set on fire by an angry mob, leaving the individual with fatal injuries.

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The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 am on Tuesday, in the vicinity of Palm Street by Target road, within the Calabar South Local Government Area, according to eyewitness accounts.

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An eyewitness, who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the incident, revealed that the suspect, a male in his 30s, was caught attempting to steal valuable items, including armour cables, from the transformer that serves multiple streets, including Palm Street, Ededem Street, and Target.

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As the eyewitness recounted, the suspect's cries for help were drowned out by the mob, who apprehended and brutally beat him before setting him ablaze by the roadside, with one onlooker recalling that "someone raised the alarm and a group of people came out, he was apprehended and beaten to a pulp, then they set him ablaze by the roadside).

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ASP Sunday Eitokpah, spokesperson for the Cross River Police Command, confirmed the incident, stating that a patrol team was swiftly dispatched to the scene, only to find that the mob had already lynched the suspect and set him on fire.

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Eitokpah provided further details, explaining that the incident occurred on Tuesday, 10th March 2026, at about 6:30 a.m. at Palm Street by Target Junction in Calabar, where preliminary information indicated that an unidentified male, alleged to be involved in vandalising a transformer, was apprehended by a mob and subsequently burnt to death before the arrival of the Police.

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Upon arriving at the scene, the police found the burnt corpse in front of the transformer, along with various items, including an old model electricity meter box, a piece of copper wire, and electric cables, suspected to be vandalised materials.

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The Local Government authorities and Environmental Health Services have been contacted to evacuate the corpse, as the police emphasized that mob action or jungle justice is unacceptable and urged the public to hand over suspects to the authorities for proper investigation and prosecution.

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The police command warned that investigation is currently ongoing to identify and apprehend those involved in the mob action, with further updates to be communicated as the investigation progresses.