The Lagos Police Command said it has arrested five persons, including a woman, for the alleged murder of a 22-year-old man wrongly accused of stealing a phone in Ajah.
A statement by the police spokesman, DSP, Bala Elkana, on Sunday gave the names of those arrested as Wasiu Wahab, Ramon Ibrahim, Junior Adebayo, Yusuf Adegbite and Bolanle Muhammed the only woman among them while the deceased was identified as Olamide Omolegbe.
The incident, according to Elkana, took place on July 8, at about 8 pm at a beverage shop in Badore.
Muhammed, who owns the beverage shop, was said to have raised the alarm that the deceased stole her phone which led to a mob descending on him.
Elkana said the matter was reported at Langbasa Police Station the next morning and investigation led to the arrest of suspects.
The statement said: “The false alarm she raised led to the beating and killing of the victim by the four persons. They beat up the guy and when he died, they threw him into the lagoon.
“His body was recovered by a team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, SP Ada Okafor on July 10, at Badore Jetty and deposited at Mainland Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.
“Five suspects including the woman who raised the false alarm were arrested. Wasiu Wahab, who is the principal murder suspect and Yusuf Adegbite were arrested inside the lagoon where they hid in order to evade arrest.
“Investigation revealed that the phone was actually stolen by the son of the woman who wrongly accused the deceased person. The suspects confessed to the commission of the crime.
“The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Zubairu Muazu has ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti to take over the investigation and ensure diligent prosecution of the suspects.”
