Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu
Ondo State government has cautioned members of the public to desist from taking laws into their hands by applying jungle justice on people suspected of committing crimes or carrying out vengeance against fellow beings.
The warning came just as the police arrest two over Monday’s killing of a driver by an angry mob over a fatal accident that claimed two lives and injured six others in Akure, the state capital. The mob also set ablaze the car of the lynched driver.
It said: “The government is saddened by this development and commiserates with all the families that lost their loved ones as a result of this incident while praying for quick recovery for those that sustained injuries”
Government through the Acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in a statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, warned that it would not fold its arms and watch some miscreants undermine law and order in the state.
Urging the people of the state to have trust in the rule of law, Aiyedatiwa said: “As a government, we will not condone any form of mob action and hooliganism in the administration of justice in Ondo State.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Ondo State Government has been drawn to a disturbing recourse to jungle justice by the public.
“This is especially true when citizens are attacked, and killed, based on one flimsy excuse or the other, especially on allegations of Internet scam, laced with ritual killing, commonly referred to as Yahoo Plus.
“The Ag. Governor, Ayedatiwa has expressed shock and disbelief, at the recent mob attack that led to the stoning to death of 35-year-old Tope Olorunfemi at the Ijoka Area of Akure.
“The young man, riding in a Toyota car, reportedly ran into a motorcyclist and his passenger, resulting in some fatalities. The government condemns in strong terms the incident and said all those found culpable will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
“While the government does not condone criminality in whatever guise, it also does not subscribe to people taking laws into their hands.
” It was reported, that the quick intervention of law enforcement agents, saved the parents of the deceased from suffering the same fate as their son. Sadly, they watched in horror and total helplessness as their son was pummeled to death.”
Ayedatiwa however, urged the people of the state to have trust in the rule of law, “as government will not condone any form of mob action and hooliganism in the administration of Justice in Ondo State.”
Meanwhile, the police have arrested two suspects over the ugly incident.
The Police spokeswoman in the state, SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the arrest, disclosed that detectives from the state police command arrested the suspects over their alleged involvement in the jungle justice meted out on Olorunfemi.
Identifying the suspects as an artisan and a trader, she said that one of them allegedly masterminded the burning of the vehicle belonging to the 35-year-old Olorunfemi and will be arraigned in court soon.
She said that the suspects would be charged to court for murder and arson, while she appealed to members of the public never to take laws into their hands.
Her words: “We need to see ourselves as one and love each other. We should first see ourselves as human beings before becoming either commercial motorcyclists, policemen, or any other professionals.
“As of now, no one can confirm if the dead young man in question was an internet fraudster. Rather than people around to have helped when the accident happened, some resolved to jungle justice by killing the young man and setting his car ablaze.
“We need to refrain from engaging in jungle justice, shun hearsay, and report any incident to the nearby police station so that there will be peace in our community.”
