… angry mob sacks officers from police station
By Adebayo Olodan
There was pandemonium in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, yesterday as irate youths burnt a suspected ritualist in the community, simply identified as Femi to death.
According to an eye witness, the youth numbering hundreds invaded the home of the suspect at Okeola Oro, Wednesday morning following the disappearance of a labourer identified as Tunde.
The victim was said to have been sighted around 9pm on Sunday alongside the suspect on the former’s motorcycle.
Speaking with our reporter on the telephone yesterday, the eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said, “Femi is a notorious criminal who have been linked to the death of some commercial motorcyclists in the town. After collecting their motorcycle, he normally kills his victims.”
Speaking further, the eyewitness said the suspect was at a time arrested for similar offence and handed over to the police by residents of the community. He added that Femi was later released by the police.
“The youth suspected Femi of killing a labourer and commercial motorcyclist known as Tunde. The latter had gone missing since Sunday night and he was last sighted on his motorcycle around 9pm with the suspect.
“In their search for Tunde, his friends and colleagues stormed the home of the suspect around Salawal Petrol Station, Oke-Ola, Oro and they found the cloth worn by the victim already soaked in blood, there,” the eye witness divulged.
Speaking further, he said after descending heavily on the suspect, he led them to a bush at Igbonla where he kept the dismembered body of the victim.
“On getting to where the lifeless body of Tunde was dumped it was discovered that his eyes had been plucked and other parts removed too.”
Policemen from Oro Division were said to have waded into the matter by taken the suspect into custody. Sensing that the suspected ritualist may be released given that he had always been in and out of police detention for similar offence, the angry youths demanded that Femi should be released to them for what they called ‘proper judgement’.
The request of the incensed youths was said to have been turned down by the police leading to heated argument between the two parties.
In an apparent move to calm the situation, the police were said to have shot into the air, a development that infuriated the crowd. The irate youth destroyed everything at sight and the situation became uncontrollable as the police vacated the station giving the crowd a field day to take out the suspect and set him ablaze in front of the police station.
He was handed over to the police again but information got out that the police was about to release him again, so the police station in Oro was invaded by aggrieved residents.
After argument with the police, the irate youths gained entrance into the police station and dragged the suspect out before setting him ablaze.
Similarly, a Facebook user, Abdulhakim Abdulkadir, yesterday, narrated on his timeline how the suspect killed one of his juniors in the Secondary School, Opeyemi Oluwatosin Awotundun, last year, saying he took away the victim’s motorcycle after the heinous act. According to him, Femi was arrested but was later released by the police.
When contacted last night, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kwara State Command, Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the incident saying the suspect was arrested for allegedly stealing a motorcycle and killing the owner.
“It is quite unfortunate that after handing the suspect over to the police, the people decided to take laws into their hands by burning him to ashes.
“We are already investigating the incident with the intention of arresting anyone found culpable,” he said even as he warned residents of the state against meting out jungle justice on crime suspects.
