Two armed robbery suspects rescued by the Police from being lynched

Two armed robbery suspects, Ganiyu Adebayo and Peter Ozobere, have been rescued by the police in the Oke-Koto area of Agege, Lagos, from being lynched by a mob, who beat and inflicted machete cuts on them.

The mob, who were said to have assembled disused tyres for the purpose of lynching the suspects, also attacked the police for preventing them from carrying out the jungle justice.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects were taken to the General Hospital, Orile Agege, where they are being treated under police protection.

A resident, who identified himself simply as Babatunde, said on Tuesday that the suspected robbers were operating at No. 6 Awoyinfa Street, Oke-Koto, Agege, and were apprehended by residents of the area.

He stated that the residents were at the point of lynching the suspects when the police emerged, adding that the duo had been rendered immobile by the mob.

According to him, armed robbers have been disturbing the area for a long time, noting that the arrest of the suspects was an opportunity for the residents to have their own pound of flesh.

He explained that the robbers usually operated in the area between 1.30am and 3.30am, adding that on some occasions, they raped and inflicted injuries on the residents.

Babatunde said, “We are not happy at all; the police have saved the robbers we were supposed to lynch. These people have been disturbing this area repeatedly. Any time between 1.30am and 3.45am, we usually stay awake because no one knows what will befall them.

“I don’t really understand why the police will take criminals to hospital for medical attention. If by tomorrow they are charged to court and the court sets them free, this community will certainly know no peace.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, who confirmed the incident, said when the police received a distress call that armed robbers were operating at No. 6 Awoyinfa Street, Oke-Koto, Agege, the patrol team at Oke-Koto was mobilised to the crime scene.

He added that the two suspects, who were being mobbed by the residents of the area, were seriously wounded and had machete cuts on their bodies.

The PPRO stated that the police recovered a toy gun, cutlass, dagger knife, wristwatch, seven sophisticated mobile phones and N1,860 from the suspects.

He said, “Around 3.30am on Tuesday, the police received a distress call that armed robbers were operating at No. 6 Awoyinfa Street, Oke-Koto, Agege.

“The patrol team at Oke-Koto was immediately mobilised to the scene where the following suspects, Ganiyu Adebayo and Peter Ozobere, were found in a pool of their own blood as they were mobbed by the residents, who inflicted serious injuries on them with machetes and other dangerous weapons.

“From the search that the police conducted, objects including one toy gun, cutlass, dagger knife, wristwatch, seven sophisticated mobile telephones and N1,860, were recovered from the suspects.

“The suspects were rushed to the Orile Agege General Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment.”

He added that the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.