From James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Three suspected kidnappers were yesterday set ablaze by a mob in Ijoko area of Ota, in Ado-Odo-Ota local government area of Ogun state, for allegedly kidnapping a 26 year old Elizabeth Oluwole.
The mob, who also burnt the suspected kidnappers’ vehicle, rescued Elizabeth who they had earlier kidnapped.
An eyewitness account told Peoples Daily that luck ran out for the suspected kidnappers when their victim screamed for help and alerted the people who pounced on them, killed them and burnt them to ashes.
It was gathered that attempt by the suspects to escape infuriated the people who grabbed them, beat them to coma and later set them ablaze.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ogun State command, Muyiwa Adejobi said the suspects had been burnt to ashes before Policemen arrived the scene, saying that the command had begun investigation on the incident pointing out that the victim was being interrogated.
He said, “Oluwole Elizabeth said at about 7:40am boarded a cab, whose number plate was not known from Sona Brewery, Sango-Ota to Ewekoro , but, unexpectedly she found herself at Gas line in Ijoko.”
“She screamed from the vehicle in which she was being taken to their den after she observed that she was in another place and the people in the area blocked the vehicle , beat the occupants, killed them and burnt them to ashes.
“The victim is being interrogated; the suspects were burnt to ashes . We are going to use multifaceted approach. We want to know if there had been an interaction between the suspects and the victim. The jungle justice affected our case”, the PPRO said
“The people alerted us at the Headquarters instead of calling the DPO in Ota, and immediately we asked the DPO to move to the scene, but, before they got there, the suspects had been killed and burnt to ashes.
“It was a heavy inferno; they put tyres on the suspects and set them ablaze. We have evacuated their ashes.
“We have taken over the matter; we are still investigating the matter. We condemn jungle justice, people should desist from this act”, the PPRO said.
In a related development, Men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State command on Tuesday rescued a middle-aged woman, Favour Okoye from being lynched by a mob for allegedly kidnapping a baby at Totoro area of Abeokuta.
The woman was reportedly beaten to coma by a mob but was promptly rescued by NSCDC officials from the pool of her blood and latter taken to hospital.
A statement by the image maker of the NSCDC, Ogun State command, Olanrewaju Kareem said his men were alerted by a taxi driver.
According to him, “a taxi driver alerted Civil Defence men who are keeping vigil on critical infrastructures around Akin-Olugbade/Pepsi/Totoro area of Abeokuta that a woman has been attacked at Totoro and was about to be killed.
“The men quickly raced to the scene to rescue the woman but, all efforts and appeal by the Civil Defence officials to allow the suspected kidnapper face the consequence through the legal process proved abortive as the mob insisted on killing the woman, which prompted the NSCDC officers to call for reinforcement.
“The woman who was in a state of coma as she could not talk was immediately rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta where she is currently receiving treatment. She latter regained her consciousness in the hospital.
Olanrewaju therefore appealed to members of the public to always ensure justice through legal means as jungle justice will make innocent people to suffer.
