By Chiemelie Ezeobi
Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, on Thursday said it rescued one Benjamin Michael from an angry mob that was about visiting jungle justice on him after he was caught attempting to steal a Mercedes Benz A-Class.
The 27-year-old suspect, who hails from Ughelli in Delta State, was arrested after the policemen prevented the mob from lynching him.
The mob had found him in the car with the registration number UB 202 AAA at the park of a popular night club in Ikeja on Wednesday night as he was preparing to steal it.
THISDAY gathered that the policemen who were on their routine patrol along the axis rescued the suspect when he was about to be set ablaze by the enraged youths.
The suspect, who had sustained various degrees of injuries on his head before the arrival of RRS operatives, was taken to the hospital for medical attention by the police.
Afterwards, on his arrival at the RRS headquarters at Alausa, Ikeja, he confessed that his plan was to indeed steal the vehicle and take it out of Lagos to a neighbouring country to sell.
He said, “I took a wrap of Indian-hemp before I went to the club that night. On getting to the club, I was looking for a car whose door was not locked. Then, I started opening all the vehicles parked at the club’s parking space one after the other.
“I discovered that the car in question was not locked. I entered the car with the aim of removing it from where it was parked and take it out for sale but I didn’t know some people were watching me.
“After I had entered the car, I saw a group of men coming towards me. I still pretended as if the car was mine. When they got to my side, they asked me if the car was mine. Unknown to me, the owner of the car was with them.
“I confidently told them the car belonged to me and they dragged me out of the vehicle and started beating me. If not for the timely intervention of the RRS officers, they would have killed me.”
Further details later
