Here's an update on the young man who was beaten and burnt to death in Lagos recently. The event went viral on social media this week because we all thought the young man was a 7 year old child who stole garri. Read initial story here.

From investigations carried out by LIB, the boy was not 7, he's said to be in his 20s, but had a small frame so many thought he was a young boy. He was also allegedly a notorious thief in the area..

LIB exclusively gathered that the incident happened on Saturday, November 12, at the popular Alafia busstop, Orile. According to residents of the area who spoke to LIB, the lynched man was a notorious thief in the area and he and his gang had tried robbing a woman of her valuables but met his waterloo when he was caught by a Hausa man who refused to let him go even though he stabbed him. Others gathered and the young man was lynched.

Jungle justice should never be an option no matter the crime committed and those involved should be brought to book.

From LIB's investigations, it doesn't look like the police are even interested in the matter because the guy is a criminal and in that Alafia area criminality and killing of criminals is common practice.

A lot of people in the area refused to speak to LIB for fear of being attacked because the place is a very notorious zone as killings, robbery and cult operations are normal occurrences in the area.

A woman who preferred to speak under anonymity said:
"The incident occurred on Saturday morning, the boy who is between 20-25 years is a notorious thief in the area. The Hausa man who caught him has been targeting him for a while as he is tired of his notorious activities. So that Saturday morning, the boy and two of his friends robbed a girl of her bag and phone but was caught by the Hausa guy who insisted that he would be killed after they stabbed him. Two of his friends ran away but the Hausa man held on to the guy even as he stabbed him, and insisted on lynching him. That day wasn't his first time of stealing but that was his last day."

Another resident of the area who identified himself as Ike, said he wasn't there when it happened but according to the stories he heard the guy
'robbed a lady in the early hours of Saturday, although I was not there when they burnt him, but when I came back I saw the remains of him. They said he robbed a lady of her hand bag.'
'They were three that robbed the girl, but one Hausa man that saw them robbing her attempted to help and eventually got hold of one them, before the other two started stabbing him, they even used bottle on him sef.'

'The Hausa man was adamant, very very adamant that even with his last strength he didn’t let go of the thieve, they even said the hausa man swear say even if them kill am him nor go leave the boy, even as blood started rushing out from his body, him nor gree let the guy go.'

As people started coming that's when the other two robbers left the boy and ran away.
So when they caught him they beat him up mercilessly and then burnt him

According to eye witness reports, the Hausa man said he even knew the guy that was lynched, and that he had been targeting him for a long time.

'But I nor go lie ooo, the Hausa man know him, him don dey target am since…."

Another resident who preferred to be anonymous said:
'All i know is that I came to my shop and heard that someone was lynched. The corpse has been there since that day. It was today an ambulance came and picked up the body.'

A Hausa guy who works around the crime scene said the Hausa guy who insisted the thief must be killed was stabbed initially by the thief and his friends, this made him angry prompting him to insist that he must kill the man even if it means he would die too.

"He dey give am money N200, N300 make him go chop free am but him no go gree. That Saturday, as him thief, the Hausa man come catch him and his friends, he come stab the Hausa man before the Hausa man begin beat am people come gather as he they beat am. They come put am tire, pour am petrol na so he die. Ambulance come today come carry am"

LIP visited the Nigeria Police Force Divisional Headquarters, Orile-Igamu, Lagos to ascertain if any arrests had been made but the DPO said 'she isn't aware of the case.' and that LIB should go contact the Lagos State Police PRO if we needed information.