Tragedy struck in the Olujoda area of Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital on Wednesday after a 45-year-old carpenter was killed by a mob who mistook him for an armed robber.
According to reports, Olujoda has witnessed a series of robbery attacks in recent times and this has caused residents to be suspicious of every move.
Eyewitnesses say the youths in the area saw the deceased roaming the street and this made them become suspicious of him. They mistook him for one of the robbers who might have attacked them in the past and then descended on him, beating him with dangerous weapons until he fell into a coma. He was later rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
His bereaved wife, Yemi, told newsmen that her husband told her that he was going to Olujoda for a contract. She is demanding justice for her late husband.
She said: “My husband told me that he was going to Olujoda to get a contract. I was greatly surprised when I heard he was killed because of suspicion that he was wandering around. The question to ask is that, did they see any dangerous weapon on him? Why couldn’t they take him to the person who contracted him for the job to know his true identity? This was a gross injustice and the perpetrators must be brought to book”.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, Sunday Abutu, when contacted, said investigations have commenced into the matter. Abutu said some persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.