Two people accused of allegedly being behind a thunder strike at Ikyve in the Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State on Saturday have been reportedly buried alive by irate youths.
The state police command, however, said one person was buried alive.
It also said two suspects have been arrested in connection with the development.
A man identified as Henry Ihwakaa alongside his wife and a child were reportedly struck by thunder on Saturday in the community.
Irked by the incident, youths from the area were said to have mobilised and apprehended the father of the alleged thunder victim, Ihwakaa and another elderly man purported to be his collaborator.
The youths were said to have dug a shallow grave and buried them alive.
A community leader in the area, Baba Agan, who claimed to have reported the case to the police at Tse Agbaragba, the headquarters of the local government, said before policemen could get to the village, the two elderly people had died.
“The incident happened at Ikyve in the Konshisha Local Government Area on Saturday. There was a light rain that day accompanied by thunder which hit a young man, his wife and a two-week-old child and the three people died.
“As a result of that, youths in the village mobilised and went to the house of the father of the young man whose name is Henry and the father’s name is Ihwakaa, they attacked him and an elderly man, dug a grave and buried them alive,” Agan said.
It was, however, learnt that when a police team arrived at the scene, the two victims had already died in the grave and their bodies were exhumed.
When contacted on Monday, the state Police Public Relations Office, SP Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident.
Anene said two suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident while an investigation was ongoing.
The PPRO who said only one person was buried alive, however, warned members of the public against jungle justice, urging aggrieved persons to always report any case of disagreement to the police for necessary action.