Key points
- A United States-based Nigerian doctor was nearly lynched by an angry mob in Ibadan after he was wrongly accused of kidnapping.
- The mob reportedly set his Lexus RX 330 SUV on fire before police officers intervened.
- Two teenage girls found inside the vehicle were later confirmed not to have been abducted.
- Police say the incident was triggered by suspicion after the girls were seen half-naked inside the vehicle and could not properly communicate in English or the local language.
- The Oyo State Police Command has launched an investigation and vowed to arrest those involved in the mob attack.
Main story
Tension erupted in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, after a United States-based medical doctor narrowly escaped death following a false kidnapping allegation that sparked violent mob action.
The incident, which occurred on Monday around the 2nd Powerline Area in Ologuneru along the Eleyele-Ido Road, drew widespread attention after residents reportedly descended on the doctor and set his vehicle ablaze before police officers arrived at the scene.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, officers responded swiftly to a distress call claiming that a suspected kidnapper had been apprehended by an angry crowd.
Police authorities later identified the victim simply as Dr. Afolabi, describing him as a Nigerian doctor based in the United States and not a kidnapper as widely alleged in circulating social media claims.
Investigators said the two girls found inside the vehicle had been handed over legally to the doctor for domestic assistance at his mother’s residence.
What’s being said
“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.” the statement said.
“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.”
“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,” the statement added.
What’s next
The Oyo State Police Command says efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest all individuals involved in the attack, destruction of property, and attempted jungle justice.
Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, condemned both the mob action and the spread of unverified information capable of inciting panic and public unrest.
He warned residents against taking the law into their hands or amplifying unconfirmed claims on social media.
The police commissioner also ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident and assured that all suspects linked to the attack would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Bottom line
What began as suspicion quickly spiraled into violent mob action, leaving a medical doctor brutalised and his vehicle reduced to ashes — all over a kidnapping claim police now say was false.
The incident once again highlights the growing dangers of jungle justice, misinformation, and social media-fuelled panic in Nigeria.
