Mob strips suspected female kidnapper

A suspected female kidnapper escaped death in the Okokomaiko area of Lagos State on Monday after an angry mob accused her of attempting to kidnap a child in the area.

It was learnt that the woman, whose identity could not be ascertained as of press time, was nabbed by residents around 8am on Aka road, Okokomaiko.

Our correspondent gathered that a disused tyre had been put round her and she was about to be set ablaze when some policemen from the Okokomaiko division rescued her.

In a post on a social media platform, a witness said the suspect confessed she belonged to a kidnap syndicate.

He said, “The incident happened around 8am in my area. I can confirm that the woman is a kidnapper.

“Her mode of operation is to disguise as a mad woman. But after she was beaten, she became ‘sane’ and for fear of being lynched, she started divulging some information.

“She claimed that they were 27 women that came as a group from Benin Republic. She said each of them was given four to five phones to contact their buyers once they have got their targets: little children. The phone is to be thrown away after transactions to avoid detection. The kidnap is for outright sale, not for ransom.”

The witness said more than seven children had been missing in the past two months in the community, adding that there had been tension in the community.

A video of the incident on Youtube showed the mob following the suspect even as some in the crowd called for her death.

The bloodied suspect occasionally stopped to make some clarifications as two women accused her of allegedly kidnapping a child.

Subsequently, a man came from behind and pulled down her skirt.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the suspect was mentally unstable, adding that she had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigations.

She said, “There is nothing to connect her with any kidnap and we suspect she is mentally challenged. It was while wandering about that some people suspected her to be a kidnapper. Meanwhile, she has been transferred to the SDCI, for further investigation.”