Mob Attack Palace as Traditional Ruler prevents lynching of kidnapper [PUNCH]

Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi

Irate mob on Monday invaded the palace of the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdurasheed Akanbi, and destroyed part of the palace in an attempt to lynch a suspected kidnapper caught by some residents of the town. Our correspondent gathered that the female suspect was accosted while making telephone calls somewhere in the town and some youths, who suspected that she was a kidnapper, pounced on her and beat her. The woman was said to have been taken to the palace and the mob who dragged her there asked the monarch to interrogate her, believing that the woman would confess. But while the Kabiyesi was said to be asking the woman some questions, some policemen were said to have arrived the palace and the irate mob who were irked by the arrival of the security agents started hurling stones at them.



 A resident, who identified himself as Taiwo, told our correspondent that the mob closed the palace’s main gate against the police team and made bonfire there to prevent their patrol van from leaving with the suspect. The policemen made several attempts but were said to have been resisted by the mob who were bent on stopping them from taking the woman away. Some of the angry residents were reported to have said they would lynch the woman because the police would eventually release her. It was further gathered that the mob did not leave the palace until the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Femi Oyeleye, led a team of mobile policemen to the palace with an Armour Personnel Carrier. 

The CP was said to have addressed the residents and assured them that the case would be properly investigated and the suspect would be charged to court if there were evidence against her. The Oluwo, when contacted on the telephone, told our correspondent that he tried to prevent his subjects from killing the suspect but they were adamant. Oba Akanbi said, “I was holding a meeting when they brought the woman; they said she is a kidnapper. Those who brought her to the palace said they believed she would confess to me if I interrogate her. “I was asking her some questions when the police came to the place. The people started stoning the policemen because they said they did not have confidence in the police. “They said the police would release her but I have no power to detain the suspect or to order that she should be killed. The law must be followed. Our law does not make provision for jungle justice but they refused to listen. “The CP led his men and addressed them in front of the palace and the police eventually took the woman away.”