Ibadan Mob Violence: Police Arrest Four As Two Die After Failed Robbery Attempt

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspects following a violent disturbance in the Strabag area of Ojoo, Ibadan, which left two people dead after an attempted robbery escalated into mob violence.

The command said calm had been restored to the area after the deployment of joint security operatives, while investigations into the incident were ongoing.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the crisis began late on Tuesday, July 7, after four young men allegedly attempted to rob a Point of Sale (POS) operator of his mobile phone.

According to the police, the suspects arrived at the POS outlet aboard a commercial tricycle at about 11:30 p.m under the pretext of purchasing mobile data before attempting to seize the operator's phone. The operator reportedly raised an alarm, attracting residents who pursued the suspects as they attempted to flee.

Police said one of the suspects, identified as Abeeb Olajide, was apprehended by an angry mob while the remaining three escaped. Olajide was allegedly beaten severely before police officers intervened and rescued him. He was taken to a medical facility and later referred to the State Hospital, Moniya, where he died while receiving treatment.

The command said the suspect's death triggered heightened tension within the community, with aggrieved groups allegedly mobilising for reprisals that resulted in a breakdown of law and order in parts of the Strabag axis.

Following reports of the disturbance, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga ordered the immediate deployment of operational and tactical units to the affected area.

Given the scale of the unrest and reports of armed groups, additional personnel were mobilised from different police formations across the state.

The police also worked alongside the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, to restore order.

According to the command, the coordinated security operation successfully contained the violence, prevented further escalation and restored normalcy without additional casualties during the intervention.

Police disclosed that another resident, identified as Kamorudeen Abdulrasheed, later died in hospital from injuries allegedly sustained during the unrest.

Authorities said detectives were investigating the circumstances surrounding his death as part of the wider probe into the incident.

The command also confirmed that six makeshift shops used for storing picked and condemned plastic materials were set ablaze during the disturbance.

Officials of the Oyo State Fire Service responded promptly to the scene and succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings and businesses.

Police said the four arrested suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, where detectives have commenced a comprehensive investigation into the attempted robbery, the mob action, the ensuing public disturbance and other related offences.

The command condemned jungle justice, warning residents against taking the law into their own hands.

It urged members of the public to hand over criminal suspects to security agencies for proper investigation and prosecution rather than resorting to mob attacks.

The police also appealed to community leaders, youth groups and residents to remain calm and avoid actions that could inflame ethnic or communal tensions.

The command assured residents that adequate security personnel had been deployed to the affected area and other strategic locations across Ibadan, adding that everyone found culpable would face prosecution in accordance with the law.