Three Nigerians accused of kidnapping a child were lynched to death on October 8, 2013, Tuesday, by a furious mob of young rioters in Guinea Bissau, according to a hospital source and an AFP journalist who saw the bodies in a morgue.
The child disappeared in the country’s capital city of Bissau on Tuesday morning, and soon after a rumour spread across Bissau that the infant had been taken by Nigerians, prompting an angry crowd to gather in the centre of the city, which security forces were unable to control.
Hundreds of angry rioters, mostly young and armed with stones and bottles, managed to grab one of the suspected kidnappers from a police car as officers stood by powerless, according to the AFP journalist.
“Death to Nigerians! Enough is enough, stop! The Nigerians must leave,” chanted the crowd.
Police fired warning shots and tear gas in an effort to disperse the mob, but they were unsuccessful.
The police called for reinforcements and soldiers from the Economic Community of West African States currently in the country were deployed in the town and managed to restore some sense of calm in the afternoon.
Nigeria’s embassy in Bissau, where many Nigerians sought refuge, was surrounded by security forces for protection.
Many shop-owners in the city closed because of the violence.
The latest abduction came at a tense time in Bissau, as in the past fortnight several kidnappings have been reported to the police.
Abductions are currently an explosive topic, among the general population and on radio shows in Guinea-Bissau, prompting a number of rumours about who has been responsible for the disappearances.
The authorities have enforced a travel ban on unaccompanied children and any adults travelling with infants who they cannot prove are relations are immediately arrested.
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