An angry mob, on Monday, stoned a 35-year-old man to death for allegedly killing two persons and injuring six others in an accident at Ijoka road, Akure, Ondo State capital.
The spokesperson for the police command in Ondo State, SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the incident to newsmen.
Mr Odunlani-Omisanya said that the accident involved a vehicle and a commercial motorcycle.
“There was an accident that led to the death of a motorcyclist, and rather than the people around helping, they resorted to jungle justice by killing the young man and setting his car ablaze,” she said.
The police spokesperson further stated that but for the quick intervention of the police, the parents of the driver too would have been killed.
She said that the parents were not in the same vehicle with their son but only came to the scene to see what was happening.
“In all, two people were confirmed dead while the six others who sustained injuries in the accident are currently receiving treatment at the hospital,” the PPRO said.
The News Agency of Nigeria had earlier gathered that the driver was suspected to be an internet fraudster popularly known as ‘Yahoo boy’.
He was said to have driven recklessly and rammed into about five commercial motorcycles carrying passengers at different spots at Ijo Mimo through Sunday bus stop to Ijoka road in Akure.
An eye witnesses, who did not want his name in print, said that three people died on the spot, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“The driver of the Toyota car, who did not sustain any injury, was trying to escape from the scene before he was caught by some youths and beaten into coma.
“The mob did not spear the man’s life, as he was beaten and stoned to death, while his vehicle was also set ablaze by the angry mob,” he said.
The eye witness stated further those who sustained injuries were taken to a nearby hospital, while the lifeless body of the driver was left at the scene.
NAN reports that the police spokesperson could, however, not confirm whether or not the driver was an internet fraudster.
The victim was alleged to be an internet fraudster by the mob.
His parents, who reportedly rushed to the scene while the mob were stoning him, escaped death by whiskers.
But for the timely arrival and intervention of police detectives, they too would’ve been lynched by the irate mob.
They set ablaze the Toyota vehicle driven by the 35-year-old victim.
An eyewitness said that “the Yahoo boy was driving a Toyota car along the road and suddenly skidded off its lane to crush the victims, who were on commercial motorcycles also known as Okada.
“The driver rammed about five commercial motorcycles carrying passengers at different spots along Ijo Mimo, through Sunday bus stop, Ijoka Road.
“The victims died on the spot, while others sustained serious injuries.
“Immediately the accident happened some sympathisers, who rushed to rescue the victims and the driver, later reportedly found some fetish items inside the driver’s vehicle, raising suspension that the he is a ‘Yahoo Boy’.
“Angered by their discovery in the car, the sympathisers descended on the driver.
“The driver of the Toyota car, who did not sustain any injury, was said to be trying to escape from the scene when he was caught by some youths and was beaten and stoned to death.”
newsmen learned that the corpses have been deposited at the state specialist hospital in Akure metropolis, while
those injured received treatment in the same hospital.
Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson for the state police command, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed that the mob killed the driver of the vehicle that crushed the victims to death.
Odunlami, however, said that only two persons were killed by the driver during the accident.
According to her, “No one can confirm if the young man in question is an internet fraudster.
“There was an accident that led to the death of a motorcyclist. Rather than people around to help, some resorted to jungle justice by killing the young man OlorunFemi Tope, aged 35, who drove the vehicle and set the car ablaze.
“But for the quick intervention of the police, his parents too would have been killed. In all two people were confirmed dead.
Odunlami added that “six others involved and injured in the accident are currently in the hospital.”
