A yet to be identified man has been beaten and set ablaze by a mob in Magbon Village, along the Powerline area in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State, over allegations of motorcycle theft.
It was gathered that the incident occurred around 1:30pm on Friday when a group of about five men chased the victim on a motorcycle before knocking him down near a bush along Igbo Olomu Road.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers descended on the man, beating him with sticks and inflicting a deep cut on his forehead before some of the assailants poured petrol on him and set him ablaze.
The source said the victim had already slumped when he was doused with petrol and set on fire, adding that he was still breathing when police arrived and was rushed to a hospital, where he later died.
“They chased him on a motorcycle from Ola Imam Bus Stop along Igbo Olomu Road, accusing him of stealing a motorcycle. Three suspects are currently in custody at the Ogijo Police Division. Some of those who set him on fire are still on the run. We don’t want this kind of incident in our community,” the source said.
A resident, identified simply as Adeoye, told our correspondent that the intervention of bystanders prevented the victim from dying at the scene, and called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of all those responsible.
Another resident, Rasaq, said community members pursued and apprehended three of the suspects, who were subsequently handed over to the police.
Rasaq added that both the victim and the suspects were believed to be from the northern part of the country, and that officers from the Ogijo Police Division evacuated the victim and took the arrested suspects into custody.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed that police responded swiftly to the mob attack in Elepete, Ogijo on Friday, March 20, 2026, rescued the severely injured victim and arrested three suspects, though the victim later died in the hospital.
