A middle-aged man simply identified as Ifeanyi escaped being lynched by the whiskers yesterday after allegedly being caught stealing ladies pants at a student residential quarters at Mgbakwu, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Tribune Online gathered that the suspect who hails from Umuneke in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State confessed that he had already stolen over 58 women pants before luck ran out on him as he was caught red-handed by a woman in the early hours of that Wednesday.
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A witness to the melodrama said that Ifeanyi had broken into the house around 2 am and headed straight to the rope where some pants were hung and was harvesting the underwears when the unidentified woman who came out to urinate saw him and raised alarm.
“The woman raised an alarm and he was caught; his cloth tore as he was beaten mercilessly by an angry mob,” the source told our reporter at the popular Nkwo Mgbakwu market, where the suspect lay gasping for breath after the intense beating.
This paper learnt that the suspect was once caught in the act at one white colour painted storey building where both students and non-students live at Amaezike village in Mgbakwu.
Ifeanyi had earlier confessed that he had been in the business of stealing ladies pants, washed and spread by the owners at their respective homes and that he usually sold them to a man known as Emeka Ofor at the rate of N500.
“I steal them (pants) from women hostels. I used to sell them to Emeka Ofor, who also hails from Umuneke Udi LGA
at the rate of N500 per piece,” he confessed.
The suspect claimed he dropped out of school at the Senior Secondary school (SSII) because of mental health challenges, but however blamed his travails on the devil and promised never to steal women pants anymore.
He equally urged youths still in the business of stealing ladies pants or other criminal activities to repent and give their lives to Christ.
It was gathered that after making a passionate appeal for clemency, the suspect was later forgiven by the mob and allowed to walk away.
A source later confided that he later fled the area at night after being handed a shirt and shot.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State command, SP Haruna Muhammed, said the police had not been briefed on the development and promised to make it public when they receive the information.
Stealing of ladies pants for money-making rituals, a development that has sent shockwaves in parts of Delta State has become a rampant criminal activity in recent times, forcing many ladies to adopt various mechanisms including going pantless to safeguard their future.
Reports indicate that pants won by ladies between 14 and 30 years of age are sold as high as N400,000 in some parts of Warri in Delta State.