The Police Command in Oyo State has rescued a United States of America-based Nigerian medical doctor, Dr Afolabi, from being mobbed over alleged kidnapping.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said that the incident occurred on Monday at 2:30 p.m. on the Ologuneru road in Ibadan.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Ibadan, Olayinka said that the mob was about to set the doctor ablaze when the police team arrived.
He said that the doctor’s Lexus RX 330 SUV was set ablaze by the mob.
According to Olayinka, the victim is currently receiving medical attention at the Police Medical Services and is responding to treatment.
Olayinka said that the two young girls, Deborah, 15 and Rebecca, 12, who the doctor was alleged to have kidnapped, found inside his vehicle, are currently in police protective custody.
Olayinka said preliminary investigation revealed that Afolabi, a medical doctor practising in the United States of America, wasn’t a kidnapper as falsely alleged in several misleading social media reports currently in circulation.
The PPRO said that further findings showed that the two girls found inside Afolabi’s vehicle were legally taken from one Mrs Idowu Abimbola in Eleyele Area of Ibadan.
Olayinka explained that the girls were to be delivered to Afolabi’s mother for the purpose of assisting with household chores.
“In the course of investigation, Mrs. Idowu Abimbola was invited to the station where she confirmed the arrangement, while the two girls equally corroborated the account and related freely with the said woman, thereby dispelling the suspicion of abduction.
“Further investigation revealed that the misunderstanding which triggered the false kidnapping alarm began when Dr. Afolabi attempted to gain access through the Polytechnic Ibadan 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.
“It was gathered that the victim’s inability to provide satisfactory answers to questions asked at the scene, 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,” he said.
The police spokesman said that the development led to a mob chase, the doctor’s eventual interception by irate youths who descended heavily on him and inflicted severe bodily injuries before the police arrived.
Olayinka said that statements have been obtained from eyewitnesses, including an Okada rider allegedly hit during the ensuing confusion.
He said that efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the mob action and destruction of property.
Olayinka said the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Abimbola Olugbenga, condemned the act of jungle justice and spread of false and unverified information capable of creating unnecessary tension and undermining the gains of security recorded in the state.
