The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a Nigerian medical doctor based in the United States, Dr. Afolabi, after an angry mob attempted to lynch him over false allegations of kidnapping.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed in a statement released to journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan that the incident took place on Monday at approximately 2:30 p.m. along Ologuneru road in Ibadan.
According to Olayinka, the mob had already set the doctor’s Lexus RX 330 SUV ablaze and was on the verge of burning him alive when police officers arrived and intervened in the nick of time. The doctor is currently receiving medical treatment at the Police Medical Services facility and is said to be responding well.
Two young girls found inside the doctor’s vehicle Deborah, aged 15, and Rebecca, aged 12 are presently in police protective custody.
However, preliminary investigations have since established that Dr. Afolabi is not a kidnapper, contrary to the misleading narratives that had been widely circulated on social media.
Findings revealed that the two girls were lawfully collected from a woman identified as Mrs. Idowu Abimbola in the Eleyele area of Ibadan, and were being taken to the doctor’s mother to assist with domestic chores.
Mrs. Abimbola was subsequently invited to the police station, where she confirmed the arrangement, and the girls themselves corroborated the account.
Investigators found that the entire misunderstanding was triggered when Dr. Afolabi attempted to pass through a gate at the Polytechnic Ibadan and was flagged down for a routine vehicle check.
When he lowered his window, the two girls were spotted in a state of undress, immediately raising suspicions among bystanders and security personnel.
The situation was further worsened by the doctor’s inability to provide clear and satisfactory answers to questions posed at the checkpoint, his decision to drive away from the scene, and the girls’ inability to communicate effectively in either the local language or English all of which combined to fuel the false kidnapping alarm.
What followed was a mob chase that ended with the doctor being intercepted by an irate crowd, who inflicted severe injuries on him before police arrived.
Statements have since been obtained from several eyewitnesses, including a motorcycle rider who was reportedly knocked down during the chaos.
The police have also commenced efforts to identify and prosecute all individuals involved in the mob attack and destruction of property.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abimbola Olugbenga, strongly condemned the act of jungle justice and warned against the reckless spread of unverified information on social media, noting that such behavior creates unnecessary panic and threatens the security gains the state has worked hard to achieve.
