Bodies of three men accused of being robbers were found burnt near the perimeter fence of the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi (FUAM) early Friday, but police say they have been lynched.

Several accounts suggest that the three burnt bodies found burnt at the gate of the university met their waterloo during a robbery operation in the rural community near the school, although others disputed that they were reprisal cultists.

A student who refused to have his name in print said there were suspicions that the deceased were students who went on a vengeance mission following the killing of a 200-level undergraduate at the Makurdi campus of Benue State University (BSU) on Wednesday.

But, a FUAM Public Relations Officer, Joseph Fanafa, who admitted that three bodies were found burnt beyond recognition at the new perimeter fence of the institution dismissed claims linking the deceased as either students of the university or cultists.

“No identity card was found on them or either any other form of identification because the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. We don’t know them and no student was reported missing. The incident happened at a time when ASUU was on strike and nearly every students left on their own to resume later as school authority had inform them that examinations would resume March, 23, 2020. Though the school was not closed down.

“We can’t identify them (the dead). We were called on Friday morning to the fact that burnt corpses were found beside the new perimeter fence gate. The vice chancellor of the school immediately called in the police and until police conclude investigation, we can’t say. The truth is that no one has substantial information that they were killed as cultists or by community people,” Fanafa added.

Contacted, Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Catherine Anene, has verified that two alleged robbers have been lynched.

Anene also said the police were retrieving two handguns made locally from the incident scene.