A fleeing prisoner was on Wednesday set ablaze by angry residents of Umuawom village, Ihodimeze community in Ikeduru council area of Imo State.
The escaped prison inmate, who returned home from the Owerri Correctional Centre was said to have hailed from the nearby Ogwa community in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State but grew up in Umuawom village, which is his maternal home.
It was gathered that he was involved in a kidnap activity of one of the families in Umuawom village but was eventually arrested and remanded in custody for over one year.
Upon his escaped from the Correctional Centre last Monday, he reportedly went straight to one of the families that testified against him and threatened to deal with them and attempted to carry out his threat by attacking a member of the family in Umuawom village with a gun.
His action prompted villagers to pounce on him and immediately set him ablaze.
Spokesman of the Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu, said he had heard about the incident but could not officially confirm it.