The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a United States-based medical doctor from mob action following a false kidnapping alarm in Ibadan, the state capital.
The command disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday by the state police public relations officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka.
According to the police, the incident occurred on Monday at about 2:30 p.m. around the 2nd Powerline Area, Ologuneru, along the Eleyele-Ido Road in Ibadan.
Officers responded to a distress call alleging that a suspected kidnapper was about to be lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob. A combined team of patrol and detective officers immediately mobilised to the scene where the suspect was successfully rescued from the enraged crowd.
However, before the arrival of the police, his Lexus RX 330 SUV had already been set ablaze by the mob, while two young girls found inside the vehicle were taken into protective custody alongside the suspect for proper investigation.
Preliminary findings revealed that the victim, identified simply as Dr Afolabi, is a medical doctor practising in the United States and not a kidnapper as alleged in viral social media reports.
Further findings established that the two girls found inside the vehicle were legally taken from a woman with the intention of delivering them to the victim’s mother for the purpose of assisting with household chores. The woman was invited to the station where she confirmed the arrangement, while the two girls corroborated the account, thereby dispelling the suspicion of abduction.
The misunderstanding began when Dr Afolabi attempted to gain access through the Polytechnic gate and was stopped by a security guard for routine vehicle inspection. Upon lowering the vehicle’s window glass, the two girls were allegedly seen half-naked, a situation which immediately aroused suspicion among bystanders and security personnel.
The victim’s inability to provide satisfactory answers, coupled with his decision to turn away from the checkpoint, further heightened suspicion. The situation was compounded by the inability of the two girls to speak the local language or properly express themselves in English, thereby fueling the false alarm of kidnapping.
The victim was immediately rushed to the Police Medical Services for urgent medical attention and is currently responding to treatment.
