The police in Oyo State have announced how they rescued a US-based medical doctor from a mob in Ibadan, the state capital.
“The incident followed a distress call received from concerned citizens alleging that a suspected kidnapper was about to be lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob,” the police said of the Monday incident.
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Before the police arrived at the scene, the man’s “Lexus RX 330 SUV had already been set ablaze by the mob, while two young girls identified as Deborah, aged 15 years, and Rebecca, aged 12 years, found inside the vehicle, were equally taken into protective custody alongside the suspect for proper investigation.”
The police in an X post on Wednesday said their investigation showed that the man, identified as Dr Afolabi, is a US-based medical doctor and that he had “legal” custody of the two girls.
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“Further findings established that the two girls found inside the vehicle were legally taken from one Mrs Idowu Abimbola, aged 56 years, of Eleyele Area, Ibadan, with the intention of delivering them to the victim’s mother for the purpose of assisting with household chores.”
PREMIUM TIMES reports that mob actions and lynching are common in many parts of Nigeria despite the repeated advice of law enforcement agencies to Nigerians. Citizens sometimes take the law into their own hands due to distrust in law enforcement agencies and a desire for instant justice.
The police said Mr Afolabi is safe and is responding to treatment.
Read the full statement by the Oyo State Police Command below.
PRESS RELEASE
OYO POLICE RESCUE MEDICAL DOCTOR FROM MOB ACTION OVER FALSE KIDNAPPING ALARM IN IBADAN
The Oyo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of an unfortunate incident of mob action which occurred on Monday, 12th May 2026, at about 2:30 PM around the 2nd Powerline Area, Ologuneru, Eleyele–Ido Road, Ibadan.
The incident followed a distress call received from concerned citizens alleging that a suspected kidnapper was about to be lynched and set ablaze by an angry mob. Upon receipt of the information, a combined team of Patrol and Detective Officers led by the Divisional Crime Officer Eleyele Police Station (DCO) immediately mobilized to the scene where the suspect was successfully rescued from the enraged crowd. However, before the arrival of the Police, his Lexus RX 330 SUV had already been set ablaze by the mob, while two young girls identified as Deborah, aged 15 years, and Rebecca, aged 12 years, found inside the vehicle, were equally taken into protective custody alongside the suspect for proper investigation.
Preliminary investigation subsequently revealed that the victim, identified as Dr. Afolabi, is a medical doctor practicing in the United States of America and not a kidnapper as falsely alleged in several misleading social media reports currently being circulated. Further findings established that the two girls found inside the vehicle were legally taken from one Mrs. Idowu Abimbola, aged 56 years, of Eleyele Area, Ibadan, with the intention of delivering them to the victim’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 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.
The development consequently led to a mob chase and eventual interception of the victim by irate youths who reportedly ignored all explanations offered by him and descended heavily on him, inflicting severe bodily injuries before the timely intervention of the Police. The victim was immediately rushed to the Police Medical Services for urgent medical attention and is currently responding to treatment.
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Meanwhile, statements have been obtained from eyewitnesses, including an Okada rider allegedly hit during the ensuing confusion, while efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the mob action and destruction of property.
The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, psc, mnips, has strongly condemned the act of jungle justice and the deliberate spread of false and unverified information capable of creating unnecessary tension and undermining the significant security gains recorded across the State. The CP warned that resorting to self-help, mob violence, and the circulation of misleading narratives on social media remain serious threats to public peace, law and order, and could ultimately reverse the progress made in sustaining security and public confidence within the State.
