Rivers State Police Command, Nigeria, is investigating the lynching of four men at Aluu Community in Port Harcourt. The men, who were beaten and burned by angry mobs in the community claiming they stole mobile phones, were recognized by eye-witnesses as students of University of Port Harcourt.

The lynching happened yesterday and was followed by outcry and condemnation on social networks by journalists and human rights activists in Nigeria. 

University of Port Harcourt authorities are yet to confirm the victims as students. A police spokesperson said the incident took place outside the University premises and intense investigation is ongoing.

October 1, in Mubi, Adamawa State of Nigeria, 26 people reported to be students of Federal Polytechnic Mubi were killed by unknown gunmen. While some have linked the killers to Boko Haram, an insurgent Islamic militant group who had killed more than 1,000 people this year in a bid to impose sharia law in Nigeria, police authorities are yet to identify the killers. No arrest has been made. Some have also linked the killings to the just concluded student union elections in the institution.

The Nigerian government condemned the incident and established a joint team to investigate the killing.