A man believed to be mentally unstable was, yesterday, lynched in the Mushin area of Lagos by a mob that accused him of being a kidnapper and ritualist.
Two suspects were rescued by a combined team of security operatives from the mob, which attempted to burn them on the same allegations.
The mob action followed an alleged discovery of a fresh ritualists’ den at Challenge Bus Stop on Agege Motor Road in Mushin.
The Nation gathered that an old man was found close to the tunnel at about 7:30am dancing and behaving strangely.
After a while, the suspect was said to have jumped into the deep tunnel, raising suspicion about the presence of a ritualists’ hideout in the subway. The incidents happened just when traders close to the tunnel were opening for business.
Eyewitnesses told The Nation that a crowd of residents and passers-by moved to the tunnel and brought out the suspect, who was said to have denied being a kidnapper. He was almost lynched before a combined team of security operatives rescued him from the mob.
About 20 minutes later, another suspect, who allegedly dressed like a woman, was apprehended close to the scene. Items, including three iPhones, an Android device and four Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, were said to have been found on him, fuelling the notion that there could be other accomplices in the tunnel.
The crowd had beaten the second suspect to a pulp and almost set him ablaze before a team of riot policemen, Operation MESA operatives and members of Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) rescued him. The mob pelted the policemen with all kinds of materials as the suspect was being whisked away.
An eyewitness, Tunde Salau, said: “We saw the first suspect who dressed like a mentally unstable person. He was dancing close to the tunnel and we all thought he was drunk. A few minutes after, he jumped into the tunnel. This action drew people’s attention and he was suspected to be kidnapper. People started beating him when he was brought out of the tunnel, asking him to confess. He didn’t say anything before the police took him away.
“Minutes later, the second suspect was noticed where he was standing close to the tunnel. He dressed like a woman. The crowd pounced on the suspect immediately and they discovered that the person disguising as a woman was a man. They found four mobile phones and ATM cards with him. The suspect was almost lynched before he was rescued by the policemen.”
The policemen plunged into the tunnel searching for suspects. They fired teargas into the tunnel to ascertain if there was anyone hiding in it. Nobody came out.
Several minutes after the security operatives left the scene, the crowd remained, watching the tunnel closely whether anyone would come out.
The crowd went berserk when the mentally unstable man, who was coming from the nearby Olorunsogo Bus Stop, approached the scene. He was attacked on the allegation that he came out at the other end of the tunnel and disguised as a mad man. The victim was stoned to death by mob and his corpse set ablaze. The police returned to the scene after the jungle justice.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos Commissioner of Police (CP) Fatai Owoseni said five persons had been arrested in connection with the jungle justice.
The commissioner warned against mob justice, noting that no one has the right to kill another.
He said: “This morning, we got distress call on a case of suspected ritualists at Mushin. They said the suspects disguised as mad people but had suspicious items on them.
“But before police arrived at the scene, one of the suspects had been lynched. Two others are in our custody. We have warned residents to desist from jungle justice.
“We have made it clear that no resident has the right to kill another irrespective of the situation. Five of those who took part in the mob justice are in our custody and they would be charged to court.”