The Oyo State Police Command has condemned incessant mob action meted out to suspected criminals across the state.
Recall that a man accused of attempting to kidnap a child was was killed and burnt to death at Oke-Ado area of Ibadan on Monday morning, December 28.
There, however, were varied reports about the circumstances that led to the killing of the man who has now been identified as Saheed.
While some eyewitnesses claimed that Saheed was a kidnapper, others claimed that he was mentally unstable.
Mr Bamidele Emmanuel, a resident of Odo-Ona, where Saheed hailed from, confirmed that the deceased was only mentally unstable and not a kidnapper.
Bamidele said that Saheed was well known in Odo Ona, where he did menial work like washing of cars and carrying luggage for people.
“He was formerly a driver; his ailment began after the commercial bus he was driving got stolen. The owner of the vehicle never believed the bus was truly stolen, which made him report him (Saheed) at the police station and the mental problem began after he returned from the police station. On his return, he began doing menial jobs; he was well known at Odo Ona axis. This is just a case of jungle justice. He had a wife and children before the mental challenge began but they left him afterwards.” said Mr Bamidele.
In a second incident same Monday morning, another man was rescued from being killed by another mob at Molete area. A team of Amotekun corps came to the rescue of the man at Molete and handed him over to the police, who took him to the Police Clinic, Eleyele, for treatment.
Speaking on Monday’s incidents, spokesperson of the State Police Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, in a statement condemned the recent resort to jungle justice, which he said had become a recurring decimal in the state.
“Investigation has commenced into the matter to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the action of the angry mob. Act of jungle justice is condemned in strong terms as this has become a recurring decimal in the state,” Fadeyi stated.
“When allowed to continue unabated, it will degenerate and the society will not be able to curb it . Innocent lives will be terminated unjustly. Consequent upon this, the Commissioner of Police therefore warns those taking the law into their own hands to stop forthwith before the long hands of the law catch up with them.” he added.
