One of the prisoners who were set free from Imo Correctional Center by unknown gunmen has been set ablaze by a community in the state.
The prisoner, whose identity is still unknown when this report was filed, was burnt to death by angry residents of Umuawom village, Ihodimeze community in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State on Wednesday.
It was learnt that the fleeing prisoner was a native of a nearby community, Ogwa also in Mbaitoli LGA but grew up in Umuawom village, which was his maternal home.
The freeing prisoner landed in the Correctional Centre following his involvement in the kidnap of somebody in Umuawom village and had been on remand in the custody for over one year.
However, after he and other prisoners were freed by gunmen last Monday, he was said to have gone to threaten one of the families that testified against him and vowed to deal with them.
It was learnt that his attempt to carry out his vow by attacking one of the members of the family with got the villagers irritated.
FirstNews gathered that the aggrieved villagers, unable to take the the act lightly, pounced on the fleeing prisoner, set him ablaze and watched him burn to death.
When contacted, Imo Police Command’s spokesman, Orlando Ikeokwu, said he had heard about the incident.
He, however, said he was yet to officially confirm it.