Matilda Omonaiye/
Police have described the woman who claimed her husband wanted to use her and daughter for money ritual in a viral video as a psychiatric patient.
The woman who was found tied up at the back of an SUV, with her child crying in the passenger seat, was rescued by passersby who heard her screaming for help from a moving car.
The woman who spoke in Yoruba could be heard in the video saying: “My husband and his friend are on their way to use us for money ritual.”
See video of incident:
She also claimed that she had three children for her husband but he has already used two of them for money rituals.
But the police in a statement today by DSP Bala Elkana, the Public Relations Officer, said the woman was being taken to the hospital by her husband and his younger brother when she allegedly raised the false alarm.
The statement says it took the timely intervention of policemen who were alerted to the incident to prevent the victims from being lynched by a mob.
The families of both the man and the woman were reportedly invited to the police station to corroborate the facts of the incident, the statement further says.
Elkana said the relations also brought the couple’s two older children, who the woman claimed the husband had used for money ritual, to the police station.
NewsmakersNG learnt that the victims, who were severely injured by the mob, are receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, while the woman is receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.
Read full statement by police below:
On 6th June 2019 at about 12.45pm, the Command’s control room received a distress call that a mob action is going on at Lawanson junction, Itere. Anti crime patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer Itere, CSP Odey Ogah was promptly deployed to the scene.
One Justina Emmanuel ‘f’ of No 10 Bishop Okogie Street Ago and her one and a half-year-old daughter, Munachisom Agugom were rescued.
Two suspects namely: Joseph Agugom ‘m’ and Paul Agugom ‘ m’ both of the same address with the victims, were rescued from the mobs. They were alleged to have kidnapped the victims for ritual purposes.
One Honda CRV car with Registration No. LAGOS FST 587 BU, one LG Phone, one iPhone, One bag containing two flasks, three pieces of rope, one black paramilitary belt and one green beret were recovered.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim is married to one of the suspects, Joseph Agugom and the child belongs to both of them. It was also revealed that the victim is suffering from mental illness and was being transported to a hospital when she raised alarm and some members of the public stopped the car and descended on the suspects.
Members of both the suspects and victims family came to the station and made statements to the effect that the victim is suffering from mental illness and was actually being transported to a hospital. The other two children of the victim with her husband were also brought to the Station, contrary to the allegations by the victim that they were killed by her husband for money ritual.
The victim was taken to hospital by the Police for medical examination.
Police have launched a manhunt on those who participated in the mob action with a view of bringing them to justice.
Members of the Public are strongly advised to be more careful not to jump into conclusions on the alarm raised by anybody. Innocent persons have suffered death or bodily harm and inhuman treatment through jungle justice.
Members of the Public have the powers to arrest anybody suspected of a crime but the law provides that such persons arrested should be handed over to the Police immediately.
Police are only investigating the truthfulness or otherwise of the allegations. And our laws presume the accused person to be innocent until proven guilty by Court of competent jurisdiction.
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