Mob sets US-based doctor’s SUV ablaze in Oyo over false kidnapping alarm

A medical practitioner based in the United States, identified as Dr Afolabi, narrowly escaped death on Monday after an angry mob set his Lexus RX 330 SUV ablaze following a false kidnapping alarm in the Ologuneru area of Ibadan.

The incident, which occurred at about 2:30 p.m. along the Eleyele-Ido Road, was triggered by a misunderstanding at a security checkpoint. According to the Oyo State Police Command, the doctor was stopped by a security guard at the Polytechnic gate for a routine inspection. When he lowered his tinted windows, bystanders reportedly saw two young girls, aged 12 and 15, who were allegedly “half-naked.”

The suspicion of the crowd was further heightened when the girls, later identified as Deborah and Rebecca, could not communicate in the local language or English to explain their presence in the vehicle. Fearing the worst, the mob ignored the doctor’s explanations and launched a violent attack, inflicting severe bodily injuries on him before the arrival of security operatives.

A statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed that a combined team of patrol and detective officers rescued the victim just as the mob prepared to lynch him. However, his vehicle was completely razed before the fire could be put out.

Preliminary investigations have since cleared Dr Afolabi of any criminal intent. “Further findings established that the two girls were legally taken from one Mrs Idowu Abimbola with the intention of delivering them to the victim’s mother to assist with household chores,” the PPRO stated. Mrs Abimbola has since visited the station to confirm the arrangement, and the girls have been taken into protective custody.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, has condemned the resort to “jungle justice,” warning that the circulation of unverified reports on social media poses a grave threat to public peace. He directed a full-scale investigation to identify and arrest the individuals responsible for the assault and the destruction of the doctor’s property.

The victim is currently receiving intensive care at the Police Medical Services, while police remain on high alert in the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order.