Why angry mob stoned driver to death in Ondo

By Muftau Ogunyemi

An angry mob, on Monday, stoned a 35-year-old man to death for allegedly killing two persons and injuring six others in an accident at Ijoka road, Akure, Ondo State capital.

The Spokesperson for the police command in Ondo State, SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the incident to newsmen.

Odunlani-Omisanya said that the accident involved a vehicle and a commercial motorcycle.

“There was an accident that led to the death of a motorcyclist, and rather than the people around helping, they resorted to jungle justice by killing the young man and setting his car ablaze,” she said.

The police spokesperson further stated that but for the quick intervention of the police, the parents of the driver too would have been killed.

She said that the parents were not in the same vehicle with their son but only came to the scene to see what was happening.

“In all, two people were confirmed dead while the six others who sustained injuries in the accident are currently receiving treatment at the hospital,” the PPRO said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had earlier gathered that the driver was suspected to be an internet fraudster popularly known as ‘Yahoo boy’.

He was said to have driven recklessly and rammed into about five commercial motorcycles carrying passengers at different spots at Ijo Mimo through Sunday bus stop to Ijoka road in Akure.

An eye witnesses, who did not want his name in print, said that three people died on the spot, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

“The driver of the Toyota car, who did not sustain any injury, was trying to escape from the scene before he was caught by some youths and beaten into coma.

“The mob did not spear the man’s life, as he was beaten and stoned to death, while his vehicle was also set ablaze by the angry mob,” he said.

The eye witness stated further that those who sustained injuries were taken to a nearby hospital, while the lifeless body of the driver was left at the scene.

The police spokesperson could, however, not confirm whether or not the driver was an internet fraudster