Onyilo Mobbed Over False Accusation – Police

The Anambra Police Command said that a middle aged man mobbed some days ago in Umuoji town was not a kidnapper but the people took laws into their hands over false accusation before the police intervened.

In a statement released by the Command through SP Haruna Mohammed, PPRO Anambra State Police Command, the Police said it would be recalled that on 30^th January, 2019, at about 8:15 am, there was a distress call at Ogidi Police Station that a middle aged man later identified as Mr. Paschal  Onyilo allegedly attempted to kidnap a school child at Umuoji town in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State.

He said instead of handling the suspect to the Police for discreet investigation, the mob took law into their hands and descended heavenly on the with beatings until he became unconscious and also tried to burn him alive inside his Toyota Camry Car with REG No AA 852 CP.

Meanwhile, following the distress call, police Patrol Team attached to Ogidi Division rushed to the scene, rescued the suspect and rushed him to Iyi – Enu Hospital, Ogidi, for treatment but immediately after his evacuation the Toyota Camry Car was set ablaze by the angry mob.

However, the victim, Onyilo, was certified dead by the medical doctors on the 3^rd February, 2019, at about 8am while receiving treatment and his corpse was deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

Consequently, preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased, Onyilo, was not a kidnapper as alleged. He was said to be on his way to Obosi to install a public address system when a yet to be identified school pupil allegedly threw a stone on his car and smashed his windscreen. He came down to arrest the boy with intent to take him to the nearest Police Station but a false kidnap alarm was raised by the people in the area who mobbed him without giving him a chance to exculpate himself.

Meanwhile, investigation is ongoing to identify and arrest perpetrators of this dastardly act who took laws into their hands in order to bring them to Justice.

The Anambra Police Command is making a clarion call on the public to refrain from taking laws into their hands on mere allegations as these would not only leads to killing of innocent persons as in this instance but will also jeopardize Police investigation even when the allegation is true.