A 22-year-old apprentice, identified as Hakeem Mujib, was beaten to death by residents in Lagos Island of being a spy for armed robbers.
According to reports, Mujib had gone to deliver some garments to a nearby tailor and then stopped at his colleague’s home around 2:00 AM to spend the night.
The colleague, identified as Kehinde, resides in a two-story building alongside his attackers.
According to reports by The Guardian, Mujib, who is from Oyo State, was knocking on the gate of the building when the occupants accused him of being a spy. They said that the person he claimed to be his friend did not live in the building.
Instead of opening the gate for him, the residents of the building allegedly attacked Mujib, beating him to death. They accused him of being a spy for armed robbers.
The source said that the victim’s pleas to his attackers that he was an apprentice on an errand for his boss were ignored. They beat him with dangerous weapons until he died.
When residents from adjoining buildings heard the victim’s cries for help, they rushed to his rescue. However, his attackers prevented them from gaining entrance to the building.
The perpetrators of the crime fled the scene before members of the Community Development Association (CDA) and other residents could arrive. The victim’s lifeless body was left at the gate of the building.
The incident was later reported to the Lion Building police station. Emergency workers took the victim’s body to the mortuary.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident. He promised to contact the Lion Building police station and report back, but he was yet to do so at press time.