A man, yet to be identified, is in critical condition after being attacked by a mob for allegedly stealing a bottle of groundnut oil at a market near the Alakara Police Station in the Mushin area of Lagos State.
According to findings by FCNN, the incident occurred on Friday when the man, pretending to be a customer, reportedly stole the product from a stall. A resident, who spoke anonymously, said the suspect was seen by another trader while attempting to leave with the stolen item.
“He acted like a customer, and while the shop owner was busy, he took a bottle of groundnut oil and tried to walk away. Another trader spotted him, and he was apprehended. The crowd stripped him, beat him, heated some of the stolen oil, and poured it on his back while he lay on the ground,” the source recounted.
The victim sustained severe burns and was eventually abandoned near the market in an unconscious state.
Concerned about his condition, a resident, Omoluabi Ifeoluwa, raised the alarm on Sunday after discovering the man lying in a gutter near the Alakara Police Station without medical attention for two days.
Sharing the incident on a community WhatsApp group, Ifeoluwa said he received a distress call and quickly reached out to health and local government officials, as well as the Divisional Police Officer of the Alakara station.
“After confirming the report, I contacted the Medical Officer of Health and the Health Supervisor for Mushin LGA, alongside the DPO. An ambulance was mobilised via the Lagos State Emergency Services, and we rushed to the scene. The man was found in a dire, unhygienic condition,” he said.
Eyewitnesses at the scene confirmed that the man had been punished with hot oil for allegedly stealing.
Despite being rescued and cleaned up, Ifeoluwa revealed that the initial hospital declined to admit him due to the severity of his condition, advising that he be taken to Gbagada General Hospital instead.
“Sadly, I couldn’t continue the process due to a lack of support, medical acceptance, and institutional guidance. I had no choice but to let him go,” he added.
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When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer, Enyinna Nwankudu, confirmed that officers made efforts to retrieve the victim from the gutter.
“We reached out to the local health officials, who helped evacuate him. He was initially presumed dead, but he was still alive and is now receiving care,” Nwankudu said.
