A man whose identity has not been confirmed was badly injured after being attacked with hot oil by a mob. The incident happened near Alakara Police Station in Mushin, Lagos. The man was accused of stealing groundnut oil from a market.
A local told Punch on Monday, July 7, that the suspect acted like a customer and picked up the oil from a trader’s stall on Friday before he was caught.
The angry crowd reportedly took the groundnut oil he tried to steal, heated it, and poured it on his back as punishment.
The witness explained that the man pretended to be shopping while the shop owner was busy. He took a bottle of oil and tried to leave, not knowing another trader saw him. He was caught, beaten, stripped naked, and the hot oil was poured on his back while he lay on the ground.
After the attack, the man passed out and was left with serious burns. He was dumped near the market area.
A local resident named Omoluabi Ifeoluwa raised the alarm after finding the man lying in a gutter near the police station on Sunday. He had not received any medical help.
Ifeoluwa posted about the issue in a community WhatsApp group, saying he got a call about a lifeless body near the Alakara Police Station. He immediately contacted health and police officials.
He said he called the Medical Officer of Health and the Health Supervisor in Mushin LGA, along with the Divisional Police Officer of Alakara Police Station. He also got an ambulance from Lagos State Emergency Services.
When the team arrived, they found the man in terrible condition. Witnesses told them the man was caught trying to steal oil, and it was poured on him as punishment. He had been lying there for over two days.
After cleaning him up, he was taken to a general hospital. However, the hospital refused to admit him.
Ifeoluwa said they were told to go to Gbagada General Hospital, but due to lack of help and direction, he had to stop trying to help. There was no support from any authority, so he had no choice but to give up.
The Divisional Police Officer, Enyinna Nwankudu, confirmed the police contacted health officials when they found the man in the gutter. They initially thought he was dead, but he was alive and was taken away for treatment.
