Angry mob beat suspected ritualist to coma in Ondo

AN unidentified suspected ritualist, was on Thursday morning, beaten to coma by an angry mob at Shasha community in Akure, Ondo State capital.

The suspect who was noticed to be loitering around the community with a bloodstained bag was challenged by some residents of the community who allegedly found that the bag contained human parts

According to an eyewitness, the mob descended on the suspect when he could not provide explain his mission in the area or give necessary information about himself when he was interrogated.

He said the suspect, however, refused to open his bag while the bag was forcefully taken from him and when it was opened, some items suspected to be human parts and charms were allegedly found inside the bag.

He said, ” When the people opened the bag and found some items covered with blood, they descended on the man, beating him blue-black. The angry mob are about to set him ablaze when a patrol of policemen arrived at the scene and rescued him. ”

However, a police source said as the team of the policemen from Oba-Ile Police Division who saved the man from being killed were also stoned by the mob

He said the policemen were able to prevent the mob from killing the suspect who was taken out of the scene unconscious

The policemen were said to have dispersed the angry crowd and whisked the suspect away from the scene.

ALSO READ: Ooni donates new building structure to orphanage home in Ibadan

The State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Mr Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident said no human part was found in the bag of the suspect but said the suspect fainted from the beaten he received from the angry mob

He said, “The suspect’s identity was unknown yet because he was still unconscious as a result of the severe beating he got from the mob. It also took the intervention of our men to save him from the mob. Our men were also stoned.

“We didn’t find any human part in his bag but we saw a big stone, covered by sawdust, a blood-stained cloth and some charms inside the bag but we are yet to confirm whether the bloodstained cloth was human blood or not.

Joseph said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Gbenga Adeyanju has ordered the Criminal Investigative Department of the command to take over the matter so as to ascertain whether the blood stain was the blood of a human being or animal.