Police in Ogun State have rescued a 31-year-old man who was nearly lynched by an angry crowd in the Olomore area of Abeokuta after he was caught impersonating a soldier.
The dramatic intervention by the state police command’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team prevented what could have become a fatal case of mob justice, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola.
The rescue followed an urgent distress call picked up by the police Cyber Centre, reporting that a man dressed in full military camouflage was surrounded by a large crowd preparing to attack him.
“SWAT operatives rushed to the scene, and the moment the mob spotted the officers, they scattered, enabling the safe extraction of the suspect,” Odutola said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man, identified as Robinson Godday, had allegedly snatched two mobile phones from a resident. When local youths gave chase and caught him, he was severely beaten, sustaining an injury to his right leg. The stolen phones were recovered by the crowd and later handed over to police.
Under questioning, Godday admitted he was not a member of the armed forces. He confessed to stealing the military uniform from a serving soldier based at Ojo Cantonment in Lagos, who is currently deployed on counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
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Commissioner of Police Lanre Ogunlowo has ordered increased patrols and stop-and-search operations in the Olomore area to prevent a repeat of the incident. He strongly condemned mob violence and urged residents to allow law enforcement agencies to handle suspects.
Robinson Godday remains in police custody as investigations continue.
