Ondo Police Arrest Four Over Viral Assault, Public Humiliation of Man Accused of Fake Transfer

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four suspects over the alleged assault and public humiliation of a resident who was accused of carrying out a fraudulent bank transfer before a video of the incident was recorded and circulated on social media.

The command disclosed the arrests in a statement posted on its official X account on Friday, saying the suspects are being investigated for alleged conspiracy, assault occasioning harm and cyberbullying.

According to the police, the case was reported at the Okuta Elerinla Police Station at about 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, by the victim, identified as Boluwaji Temidayo.

Temidayo told investigators that he was physically attacked by a group of persons on Tuesday, July 21, after being accused of running a fake bank transfer. He alleged that his attackers also recorded the assault without his consent before uploading the footage to various social media platforms.

The police said the complaint triggered a technology-driven investigation involving digital forensic analysis and intelligence gathering to identify those responsible for both the assault and the online circulation of the video.

The investigation led to the arrest of four suspects identified as Gbemisola Ariyo, Babatunde Eniola, Adams Tobiloba and Fasusi Bunmi.

According to the command, the suspects are believed to have actively participated in the assault as well as the recording and dissemination of the video.

Police said the suspects have made what they described as useful confessional statements while in custody, adding that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other individuals linked to the incident.

The command said all those found culpable would be prosecuted after the conclusion of investigations.

The police used the occasion to condemn what it described as the growing trend of jungle justice, warning members of the public against taking the law into their own hands by assaulting, humiliating or publicly parading persons merely suspected of committing offences.

The command also expressed concern over the increasing practice of recording such incidents and sharing them on social media to ridicule, intimidate or incite public hatred against individuals.

It reminded residents that every Nigerian, whether accused or merely suspected of an offence, enjoys constitutional rights guaranteed under the law, stressing that allegations alone do not amount to guilt.

The police advised members of the public to report suspected offenders to law enforcement agencies instead of resorting to self-help or mob action.

The command further warned that recording, publishing or circulating defamatory, misleading or malicious content capable of violating another person's rights or interfering with investigations could attract criminal liability under existing laws, including provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.

Commissioner of Police Felix Ohagwu reaffirmed the command's commitment to protecting the fundamental rights of all residents, enforcing the law impartially and ensuring that anyone found to have violated the rights and dignity of others is brought to justice.