Mob kills man wrongfully accused of stealing phone

Five people, including a woman, have arrested for allegedly being among mob that killed a man wrongfully accused of stealing a mobile phone at Langbasa area of Ajah, Lagos State.

The deceased, Olamide Omolegbe 22, was allegedly beaten to death in a mob attack after being accused of stealing Bolanle Muhammed phone.

Omolegbe was wrongfully accused of phone theft after he went into Muhammed’s shop to buy soft drinks.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, who explained that the incident occurred on July 8, 8pm, added that the Langbasa Police Station, was alerted after the victim was killed at Badore, Ajah, where Muhammed shop was located. He said that his corpse was later dumped into the lagoon.

Elkana said: “The false alarm raised by Muhammed led to the beating and killing of the victim by Ramon Ibrahim, Junior Adebayo, Wasiu Wahab and Yusuf Adegbite. Muhammed was also arrested for raising false alarm. After they confirmed the victim was dead, they threw his remains into the lagoon, but his corpse was later recovered by a team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Langbasa Police Station, a Superintendent of Police (SP), Ada Okofor. The remains of the victim were evacuated and deposited at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.”

Elkana disclosed that the principal suspects, Wahab and Adegbite were later arrested inside the lagoon where they went to hid in order to evade arrest.

During interrogation, the suspects were alleged to have confessed that the phone was actually stolen by the son of Muhammed, who wrongly accused the deceased of stealing the phone in her shop.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba to take over the investigation and ensured a diligent prosecution of the suspects.