Mob batters suspected pickpockets

A mob on Tuesday beat two suspected pickpockets black and blue at the Oyingbo Market area of Ebute Metta, Lagos, for stealing a mobile phone from a girl identified simply as Mariam.

PUNCH METRO gathered that the suspects wanted to take advantage of the large turnout at the campaign rally of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on the road leading to the market but the girl quickly grabbed the trousers of one of them and raised the alarm.


“You took it, you took my phone, I saw you pass it to him!” she said, pointing to another man who was trying to free the man being held by the victim.


A commercial driver, Sina Balogun, quickly went to the aid of the girl and made sure the suspects did not escape. This attracted other people who gathered around the suspects and gave them the beating of their life.


As the beating persisted, one of the suspects gave his name simply as Azeez and claimed that he was a furniture maker, while the other one refused to identify himself.


The suspects, however, protested their innocence and denied knowing each other. “I don’t know this man. I don’t know him at all. I don ‘t know anything about it, I am not a thief,” one of them said as the mob threatened to set them ablaze.


There were no security agents around during the incident and the mob had a field day as they used all manner of weapons on the suspects in order to force them to confess the crime.


When the suspects were searched, three phones were found on Busari, whom Mariam said the other suspect passed her phone to when it was stolen from her pocket.


Although she said none of the phones found on the suspect was hers, she insisted that one of the suspects actually stole her phone and passed it to the other man.


An unidentified man in the mob later pleaded that the suspects should be released and they both promptly ran away.


Balogun, who was the first person to come to the aid of the girl, said as an ex-boxer, it was easy for him to overpower the suspects before others joined him.


He said the fact that the girl’s phone was not found on the suspects did not mean they were innocent.


Balogun said, “I know how these people work; I have seen it done before. They have a network. Immediately someone picks your pocket, he passes whatever he picks to someone who will also pass it to another until it gets to the carrier. A crowd like this is a very good market for pickpockets.


“We should not have listened to that man, he was probably working with them, forget the fact that he took part in the beating. That is all part of the scheme.”

Posted: at 20-04-2011 10:35 AM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac

jungle justice should nt be encourage...innocent pple fall victim most times cos these criminals know hw 2 escape 4rm such scenes

Posted: at 21-04-2011 03:19 PM (14 years ago) | Newbie

them nor best them reach. See im mouth wen im take dey cry

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Posted: at 21-04-2011 04:16 PM (14 years ago) | Upcoming