Police intervene to protect US‑based doctor from mob after false kidnapping report in Ibadan

The Oyo State Police Command rescued a medical doctor who was facing mob violence after a false kidnapping alarm was raised in the Ologuneru area of Ibadan.

The rescue was reported in a press release issued by the Oyo State Police Command on May 12 2026.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. near the 2nd Powerline Area, Ologuneru, on the Eleyele‑Ido Road in Ibadan, after residents accused the man of involvement in a kidnapping.

According to the statement, police officers responded to a distress call that warned a suspected kidnapper was about to be lynched by an angry crowd.

A joint team of patrol and detective officers, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Eleyele Police Station, arrived at the scene and extracted the victim from the mob.

Before the police reached the location, the crowd set the victim’s Lexus RX 330 on fire.

Two teenage girls, Deborah, 15, and Rebecca, 12, who were found inside the vehicle, were taken into protective custody for further investigation.

Police investigations identified the victim as Dr Afolabi, a medical doctor based in the United States, and refuted social‑media claims that he was a kidnapper.

The statement added that the two girls had been lawfully handed over to Dr Afolabi by Mrs Idowu Abimbola of Eleyele, Ibadan, for delivery to his mother to assist with household chores.

“Mrs Idowu Abimbola was invited to the station where she confirmed the arrangement, while the two girls equally corroborated the account and related freely with the said woman, thereby dispelling the suspicion of abduction.”

The Command noted that the misunderstanding began when Dr Afolabi was stopped for routine vehicle checks at the Polytechnic gate.

Police said suspicion grew after bystanders and security personnel observed the girls inside the vehicle partially unclothed.

The victim’s inability to give satisfactory explanations at the scene, combined with communication difficulties involving the girls, reportedly heightened residents’ suspicions.

The situation escalated into a mob attack, during which some youths allegedly assaulted the doctor and caused injuries before police intervened.

Afterward, the victim was taken for medical treatment and is reported to be responding to care.

The Command indicated that investigations remain ongoing to identify those responsible for the mob assault and the destruction of the vehicle.