Ovie Okpare, Warri

an angry mob on Wednesday set ablaze a
suspected member of a gang of serial
rapists that had terrorised Ughelli and its
neighbouring communities in Delta State.
No fewer than four ladies, including the
wife of a popular hotelier in the metropolis,
had been raped by the gang of rapists in
the last two weeks.
One of the victims lost her life in the
process.
The group, according to residents,
specialises in raping and attacking
salesgirls and middle-aged women.
Luck, however, ran out on the suspected
member of the group on Wednesday when
he allegedly attempted to rape a salesgirl
(name withheld) at the Adagharagba
Junction near the Ughelli Central Market.
He was said to have been apprehended by
the residents.
It was gathered that the suspect was
apprehended by a mob at about 11.30am
when he attempted to rape the salesgirl.
A resident, who witnessed the incident, told
our correspondent that there had been a
lot of killings and rape by a group of young
men who targeted salesgirls and female
traders within Ughelli and its environs.
The source noted that the suspected rapist
had confessed that he was a member of a
three-member gang that raped salesgirls
and female traders in the community.
The suspect, who hailed from Oroahakpor
community in Ethiope-West Local
Government Area of the state, reportedly
said other members of the gang fled on
sighting the mob.
Another eyewitness, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said, “The
hoodlums pretended to be customers
buying things in bulk and that was why
they were allowed to enter the store. The
next thing we heard was the screaming of
the salesgirl and we immediately rushed in
only to see that that she had been attacked;
she was bleeding.
“The mob pursued the suspects, who had
fled the scene. They caught up with one of
them at the Omotor Junction, where he was
set ablaze before the arrival of security
agents.”
The salesgirl, while recounting her ordeal at
the Accident and Emergency Unit of the
Ughelli Central Hospital where she was
receiving treatment, said the suspects came
under the guise of wanting to purchase
items from the store.
She said, “One of them hit me on the head
and I screamed.I was rescued by a male
neighbour, who rushed to the shop, after
the suspects had fled the scene.”
It was later gathered that another member
of the group was arrested along Market
Road by policemen from the Ughelli Police
Division.
The spokesperson for the Delta State Police
Command, SP Celestina Kalu, said she had
not been briefed on the incident.


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