Ogun Police condemn mob killing of ritual suspects

The Ogun State Police command has condemned the recent lynching of two suspected ritualists by a mob in the Oja Odan area of the state.

Ripples Nigeria reported that two people identified as Idowu Afolabi and Johnson Adebiyi were said to have been apprehended with fresh human parts by some youths in Oja Odan, Yewa-North Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the two were handed over to the police, but hours later, a mob of youths stormed the Oja Odan divisional headquarters where the suspects were detained and set them ablaze after releasing them.

In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the command condemned the act, warning that “jungle justice has no place in our law.”

Oyeyemi who described the act as barbaric and unlawful, warned residents of the state to desist from taking laws into their hands, adding that such would not be condoned henceforth.

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The statement reads in part, “Following an unlawful killing and setting ablaze of two suspected ritualists in oja odan area of Ogun state on Saturday 12th of February 2022, the Ogun state police command wishes to warn the general public that such barbaric and unlawful action will no longer be tolerated.

“In the early hours of Saturday 12th of February 2022, two suspected ritualists were arrested and brought to Oja odan divisional headquarters by some vigilant and law abiding members of the public, with allegation that a fresh human head concealed in a sack was seen with them.

“While the suspects were being interrogated in the station, some unscrupulous elements went and mobilized large number of people who invaded the station aggressively, overwhelmed the police personnel on duty and subsequently hijacked the suspects, beat them to death and set their corpses ablaze.”

Oyeyemi warned that a suspect remains one until he or she is convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction no matter how grevious the crime committed.

” is only the court that has the power to impose punishment on anyone found guilty of a crime, not an individual or group of people,” he said.

He disclosed that the commissioner of police in the state, CP Lanre Bankole has ordered a full scale investigation into the incident with the view of bringing the perpetuators of the unlawful killing to justice.

“The CP also appealed to members of the public to have confidence in the nation criminal justice system and desist from self help as such is alien to the law of the land.”

By Oluwatobi Odeyinka.

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