An Angry mob have lynched a 23-year-old man in Awka, Anambra State capital, for allegedly attempting to use a 4-year-old girl for rituals.

The deceased, a driver with a private school in the area and simply identified as Samuel, hails from Benue State.

He was said to have attacked and attempted to kill the little girl in her mother’s shop while the woman had gone to buy food for her daughter in a nearby shop.

The deceased, however, met his waterloo when youths around the area following the alarm raised by the petty trader stormed the scene and rescued the little girl from him and gave him the beating of his life, leaving him dead.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, said the deceased was probably under the influence of some hard drugs.

Haruna said: “He captured the 4-year-old girl and was molesting her sexually before he was arrested by some civilians who carried out jungle justice on him.

“When the police arrived at the scene, the boy, who was probably in his late 20s, was lying motionless on the ground while his assailants had dispersed.

“He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead. Investigations are still on to ascertain what transpired and to arrest perpetrators of the crime.”

The police image-maker said no arrests had been made, adding that the little girl victim was stable and responding to treatment in the hospital.

Mrs. Ginika Eze, 42, a native of Alumona-Nsukka, Enugu State and mother of the victim, while narrating the story of the incident to newsmen claimed that the deceased’s mission was to kill her daughter for ritual purposes but thanked God for saving her daughter through the youths.

She said: “I brought my daughter to stay with me at the shop so as to keep an eye on her since her school was on mid-term break. When she complained she was hungry and wanted to eat beans and bread for lunch, I went to a nearby shop to buy the beans and bread.

“It was not long my attention was drawn to my stall where my daughter was struggling with a man almost half naked. He was kissing her and fondling her breast, while muttering, “I must drink your blood.

“I had to raise the alarm as the man was already kissing my daughter all over her face and was about to defile her.

“Luckily, some boys within the area ran to the scene of the incident and started dragging my daughter with him. By then, blood was already dropping from her face as the man held her tight in his arms.

“We were able to retrieve her and rushed her to the hospital where she is now receiving treatment.”

One of the witnesses who pleaded anonymity, claimed the deceased was shouting for blood and was about to suck the girl’s blood before he was lynched, adding the father of the deceased had already been contacted.