THREE PERSONS BURNT TO DEATH OVER ALLEGED KIDNAP IN OSOGBO

THREE persons, suspected to be kidnappers, were on Friday, burnt to death in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. Investigation revealed that youths, led by commercial motorcyclists, combed the town to pick up the suspected kidnappers in different parts of Osogbo, and attacked them with sticks, woods cudgel and later set them ablaze with disused tyres.

 A suspect was burnt to death at the Ayetoro area of the city by an irate mob, while the other two were burnt at Plantation and Igbona areas of the town. Another suspected kidnapper, Segun Akinwale, was on Thursday, rescued by the police from being lynched in the Alekuwodo area of the town for allegedly attempting to kidnap a child before his mother found out. His alleged confession was said to have irked the youths, mostly the okada’s riders.

It was gathered that the suspect allegedly confessed that nine of his colleagues are already at different parts of the town to kidnap children in Osogbo and its environs. Based on the alleged confession, angry youths moved round Osogbo in search of other kidnappers, during which the three suspects were burnt to death. At Ayetoro area of Osogboa, it was gathered that the suspected kidnapper was found with a baby inside a bag he carried. Drivers at the Ayetoro junction were said to have challenged the suspected kidnapper, who reportedly dressed like an insane person, and opened the bag that was found with him. It was, however not certain if the boy allegedly kidnapped and found in the bag was alive or dead.

The development allegedly prompted the youths in the area to mobilize others and set the suspected kidnapper ablaze. A similar incident occurred at the Plantation and Igbona areas of the town where youths of the area set ablaze those suspected to have kidnapped some children in the area. The police have been deployed round Osogbo to prevent further break down of law and order. Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Maishanu, has condemned the trend of burning of suspects in the state, describing it as jungle justice, which he said was against the law. He said the state would not be allowed to be turned into a theater of crisis, vowing that the police would do everything possible to forestall further breakdown of law and order. Assuring that the police would conduct thorough investigation on the incident, the Police Commissioner warned that people should desist from taking laws into their hands.

Also speaking, the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, condemned the development. He warned the residents against jungle justice, saying cases of criminal activities should be reported to law enforcement agencies, rather than the people taking the laws into their hands. Speaking through his Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, in a statement, the governor stressed that the state government would join hands with relevant security agencies to ensure proper security of lives and property of the people of the state.
Source: The Nation