A man reportedly among a gang who burgled a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Somolu area of Lagos has been set ablaze.

He wasn’t as lucky as the other two who escaped.

A resident of the area, Ibrahim Olasunkanmmi said, “I have just returned from the mosque and was about to go to bed around 5:30 am when I heard a noise from a distance. Out of curiosity I went to the scene and saw someone being set ablaze.

“I later learnt that he was a member of a three-man gang which had gone to steal some musical instruments from an RCCG church on Olorunkemi Street, and while they were carting away the items, some guys ran after them. Two of them ran away, while the third suspect withstood the mob because he probably had a charm on him. At first, people were afraid to get close to him. When they eventually caught him, they descended on him. Before the police and the Lagos State Ambulance Service arrived, he had been set ablaze.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, who confirmed the incident, however said the suspect was still alive and recovering in a hospital.

Elkana said, “We got a distress call that a mob action was going on and we quickly rushed to the place. The suspect was rescued; he is still alive. He is not talking yet for us to get any information from him. The stolen items have been recovered by the police.We have started investigating the case and a manhunt has been launched for the fleeing members of the gang. The suspect will be charged to court to face the law as soon as he recovers.”

Mr Elkana also advised the public to always hand over suspects to constituted authorities rather than take the laws into their own hands.