Mob beats armed robbery suspect in Ijegun

A 26-year-old armed robbery suspect, Tunde Adewale, is thankful to his creator for rescuing him from the hands of an irate mob, who almost lynched him to death at Ijegun Community road, when two of his gang members allegedly abandoned him and escaped on their motorcycle.

The suspect was beaten to near-death and thrown into the bush by the roadside before the police on patrol from Ikotun area picked him up.

When the police discovered that he was still breathing with all his face covered with blood, he was immediately transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Lagos State Police Command GRA, Ikeja for thorough investigation and further prosecution.

The suspect is particularly gladdened that he is alive to tell his story. According to police authorities, “the suspect had been under intensive medical care because he could not talk when he was brought to SARS and for the investigation to be comprehensive, he had to be treated in order to be of sound mind for us to get the right information with which to put together with the report we already have and find the true position.

“You can see that it is the treatment that he was receiving since they transferred him that even enabled him to talk and the worse is that he is a poor liar and stack illiterate. He was transferred here almost half dead but we were able to revive him.”

Telling his story, the suspect, Tunde said: “I am an Okada rider in Ikotun. I was carrying two passengers at Ijegun community half way, some people stopped me and brought knives and cutlasses claiming to be cult boys. I became afraid and locked my motorcycle and started asking them why they stopped me here whereas they have not reached where they were going.

“As I was talking, one of them snatched my motorcycle key and started the motorcycle. As he wanted to drive away with the second person I started dragging my motorcycle with them but they succeeded in overpowering me and zoomed off with my motorcycle.

“When I was crying for help, the people from the area gathered round me calling me thief, thief and before I knew it, they started beating me up. They thought that I was dead and pushed me into the bush by the roadside.

“I am from Ire village in Orewole local government area of Osun State. I was mistaken to be a thief when the two boys I was carrying snatched my motorcycle and claimed to be cult boys. I am married with a child.”

Speaking on reasons why none of his relatives has come to bail him, the suspects said: “My brother is in Osun State. I am the only one in Lagos.”

However, a police source doubted the defense of Tunde as the cop wondered why the mob would mistake him for an armed robbery suspect. “The truth will come out since the suspect has reached SARS where mysteries are unveiled on a daily basis,” he said.