A middle-aged man suspected to be a kidnapper has been beaten to death by an angry mob in Omuo-Ekiti community, the headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government area of Ekiti State.
The incident, according to eyewitness, occurred on Saturday around 2:30pm at Iludofin area of the town, where the deceased suspect had trailed and grabbed a seven-year-old boy returning from school.
The source, who craved anonymity, said the attempted kidnapping went sour when a man, who was defecating in a nearby bush, sighted the deceased and raised the alarm as the suspected kidnapper grabbed and was forcibly dragging the boy into the surrounding bush.
It was gathered that the angry mob, which responded to the distress call, descended heavily on the suspect, beating him so badly until he relapsed into coma.
“The suspect was trailing the boy home from school. When he realised that he had reached a bushy footpath , he grabbed him and started dragging into the bush.
“It was a man who was looking from afar that raised an alarm and the people caught him in the act and beat him to stupor.
“It was later that the police arrived and took him to the station with the aim of taking him to the hospital for treatment”.
While confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the man died immediately he got to the police station.
Abutu said it was one of the Chiefs at Iludofin quarters that reported the case to the police, which he said they acted upon promptly.
“When we got the information, the police rushed to the scene of the incident , but the man had already gone into coma.
” The mob action was very thick but the police tried and rescued him and the intention was to first take him to the station for cover before rushing him to the hospital for medical attention. Unfortunately, he died in the station as a result of the beating”.
He said the suspect’s corpse had been deposited in the morgue at the Omuo Ekiti General Hospital, while investigation into the matter continues.
Abutu cautioned against jungle justice, advising any suspect arrested should be handed over to the police for prosecution.