Mob violence leaves Nigerian town in terror

By Uwakwe Abugu

Asaba - At least 14 people were killed in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta state on Saturday as vigilante mobs hunted down suspected armed robbers, soaked them in petrol and then set them alight, witnesses said on Tuesday.

The killings in the notoriously violent town of Ughelli brought the death toll in Delta state to at least 37 in the two weeks since police and military launched an offensive against criminal gangs.

Although the deaths took place at the weekend, news only filtered out on Tuesday due to the remoteness of the area.

Police said six people were killed - four who were torched to death and two who were shot and wounded by the vigilantes and later died in police custody.

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