By Patience Ogbo
There was tension at the Gbagi market area along the Ibadan – Ife road, in Oyo State, as residents took the laws into their hands by setting a man ablaze.
According to traders at the market, the man, whose identity was not revealed, was reportedly conveying five children to an unknown destination but when he was accosted, he tried to flee, which drew suspicion.
According to one of the traders, who simply identified herself as Iyabo, she said “The man was carrying five children. When they asked him who were the children were to him, he tried to run away. The children were not in their right senses as if he had hypnotised them.
“It was when he tried to run away that he was chased and beaten up. Shortly after he received few slaps to his face, he confessed to stealing the children from different areas in Ibadan and he was taking them to sell them in other states. ” Following his confession, some young men beat him to stupor. They got tyre and fuel and set him ablaze near the Expressway opposite Fabem Petrol Station not too far from Gbagi market”.
Another source added that the children were rescued and taken to a nearby police station.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi, was not successful as he did not answer calls made to his mobile telephones, nor reply to text message at the time of filing this report.