June 27, 2024, will remain unforgettable to the family of Pa Temidayo Ogunlade, who was mobbed by some residents of Bode Owo, Itesiwaju area, Omi Adio in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, in what has been termed in error.

The mob victim had been battling with memory loss for some years according to his brother, Mr. Olaolu David.

Pa Ogunlade had some complications again and he went away from his house early in the day, but didn’t return home as usual.

This prompted his family to go in search for him without any inkling that their beloved father had suffered attack from irate mob, who mistook him for a robber, though nothing was found on him.

Narrating the scenario that terminated his brother’s life, Mr. David told Vanguard: “On June 27, 2024, my brother who is memory deficient went out of the house and started roaming the street.

“Unfortunately, he went into a premises around Bode Owo, Itesiwaju area of Omi Adio and being a stranger, people shouted thief, thief. The false alarm attracted passersby who swooped on him and beat him to stupor.

“When the dust subsided, the owner of the compound, for fear of being held liable, quickly ran to the police station in the area to report the incident. But, on leaving his compound for the police station, the crowd descended on the Pa Ogunlade again. This time, they beat him to the extent that he couldn’t stand up. By the time the owner of the premises came back, Pa Ogunlade was just struggling to live.

“The man rushed him to the hospital in his car perhaps he could be resuscitated. But, on getting to the University College Hospital, he was rejected on the excuse that there was no bed. He was taken to Adeoyo Hospital but the staff were on strike. On his way to the third hospital, Pa Ogunlade, having lost so much blood, he breathed his last.”

Mr. David who said this was narrated to him because he resides in Lagos, noted that the Samaritan was confused but had to take the corpse to the police.

“On getting there, the policemen arrested the good Samaritan and took the remains of Pa Ogunlade to the area where he was lynched but no one could identify him.

“It was through a private radio we got to understand his whereabouts and that he was dead. The man in detention is just a victim of circumstances because it was his compound that the deceased ran into.”

Further checks revealed that the residents of Bode Owo have been having sleepless nights because of continued invasion of their community by robbers.

“It was their previous experiences that propelled them to attack the man mistaking him for a robber.

Efforts to get the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso’s reaction, proved abortive at press time. (Vanguard)

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