The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two security guards in connection with the lynching of a site engineer, Solomon Ode, on a construction site at Eko Atlantic City in Lagos State.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Friday, October 31.
It was gathered that some security guards were chasing suspected thieves when they sighted Ode close to a construction site and also labelled him a thief.
A police source who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday said there had been concerns about some missing building materials in the area, adding that this prompted the security guards to apprehend and lynch him in the process.
“Some security guards were chasing some suspected thieves who tried to steal iron rods from the construction site in Eko Atlantic. Ode was later sighted in the area and accused of being one of the thieves. He kept pleading that he wasn’t among them, but they refused to listen. They beat him until he died and left his body by the riverbank.”
A Facebook user, John Ona, who gave an account of the incident in a post on November 5, stated that a search for Ode began when his roommate discovered he did not return home.
While quoting the deceased’s roommate, Simon Odigri, Ona opined that the search continued into the weekend until Simon and five others met a security man who hinted that someone had been attacked around the area.
According to Ona, the guards allegedly beat Solomon severely with cutlasses and other weapons, insisting he confess.
He further stated that despite his pleas of innocence, they continued to assault him.
He wrote, “When we pressed him, he said some people came to steal iron rods that night and that the security guards chased them, but didn’t catch anyone. Later, they saw Solomon passing and assumed he was one of the thieves.
“They said while taking him across a bridge, he jumped into the water, trying to escape, and never came out. They claimed he broke one of the guards’ hands in the process. But Solomon had already been beaten and was weak; how could he swim in a deep river?”
According to him, the security guards claimed to have waited for about an hour, expecting him to resurface.
He added that when he didn’t, they reported the matter to their supervisor and claimed that he drowned while fleeing arrest.
His remains were later recovered by scavengers who found the body floating by the riverbank. The police reportedly arrested some of the guards after angry youths confronted them.
When contacted on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident.
According to her, the suspects were taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department for questioning.
“The incident happened, and two security guards have been arrested and taken into custody at the SCID for questioning. The corpse had also been taken to the morgue, and the family had been contacted. Investigation is ongoing.”
Ode’s death adds to the growing list of Nigerians who have fallen victim to jungle justice and mob actions across the country.
PUNCH Metro reported in March that a suspected armed robber died in the hospital after being rescued from an attempted lynching in the Agege area of the state.
Credit: punchng.com
