A middle-aged man identified as Mr Paschal Onyilo was on January 30, 2019, beaten to death by irate Okada riders at Umuoji town, Idemili North Local Government of Anambra State.

It was gathered that the Okada riders descended on Onyilo over a false accusation of kidnap by some children that stoned his car.

Information has it that Onyilo, who handled sound systems during government functions in the state, was on his way to Obosi to install a public address system for a function when a yet-to-be-identified school pupil allegedly threw a stone on his car and smashed his windscreen.

He then alighted from his Toyota Camry Car with REG No AA 852 CP and pursued the boys, who took to their heels when he stopped his car.

According to a source who spoke to News Express, he caught up with the boy and asked him to take him to the police so that they would pay for the damage to his car but while in that struggle, Okada riders in that area rounded him up and started beating him till he passed out.

A statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Haruna Mohammed, reads in part: “Following a distress on the 30/1/2019 at about 8:15 am, at Ogidi Police Station that a middle age Man later identified as Mr Paschal Onyilo ‘m’ allegedly attempted to kidnap a school child at Umouji town of Idemili North LGA of Anambra State.

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

“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.

“He came down from his car to arrest the boy with intent to take him to the nearest Police Station but the other children ran to some elders of the community and told them that one man had kidnapped one of them.

“The false kidnap alarm was raised by the people in the area who mobbed him without giving him a chance to exculpate himself. Instead of handing the suspect to the Police for discreet investigation, the mob took law into their hands and descended heavenly on the man with beatings until he became unconscious and also tried to burn him alive inside his Toyota Camry Car with REG No AA 852 CP.”

Mohammed said the victim was certified dead by the medical Doctor on the 3/2/2019 at about 8am while receiving treatment adding that his corpse was deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was not a kidnapper as alleged.

The PPRO said that investigation is ongoing to identify and arrest perpetrators of the dastardly act who took laws into their hands in order to bring them to Justice.

The Command called on the public to avoid taking laws into their hands on mere allegations as these would not only lead to the killing of innocent persons as in this instance but will also jeopardise police investigation even when the allegation is true.

Update news