Residents Beat Suspected Kidnapper to Death in Ekiti

PDP berates Fayemi over insecurity

A middle-aged man accused of attempting to kidnap a boy was last Saturday beaten to death by residents of Omuo Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

The incident occurred at Iludofin area of Omuo Ekiti, where the deceased allegedly attempted to kidnap a seven-year-old boy, and was apprehended by angry youths.

An eyewitness revealed that the incident occurred around 2.30p.m. when the pupils were returning from schools.

The source disclosed that a man, who sighted the now-deceased suspect, had raised the alarm as he grabbed the boy and was forcefully dragging him into the surrounding bush.

The residents were said to have trooped out en masse and pounced on the suspect, and beat him 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 pounced on him and started dragging him into the bush.

“It was a man who was looking from afar that raised the alarm, and the people caught him (the suspect) in the act and beat him to stupor.

“It was later that the police arrived at the scene and took him to the station with the aim of taking him to the hospital for treatment,” he said.

While confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, 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 by then.

“The mob action was very intense, but the police tried and rescued him, and the intention was to firstly 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 stated.