A woman, Justina Emmanuel, who raised the alarm that her husband, Joseph Agugom, and his brother, Paul Agugom, were taking her and her child for money making ritual, has been discovered to be mentally ill.
The woman raised the alarm on June 6, 2019 in Lawanson area of Lagos State, prompting a mob intervention, which almost resulted in the killing of the Agugoms but for the prompt intervention of policemen.
Emmanuel, according to a trending video, raised the alarm while being driven by the Agugoms with her last child, Munachisom Agugom, who is less than two years old.
She said she did not know that her husband was a ritualist, accusing him of having used their first two children for ritual purposes.
The mob almost killed the Agugoms before an Anti-Crime Patrol Team, led by the Divisional Police Officer of Itire Police Station, CSP Odey Ogah, was deployed to the scene.
The Agugoms, all of 10, Bishop Okogie Street, Ago, 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 para-military belt and one green beret were recovered.
Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the victim is married to Joseph Agugom and the child belongs to both of them.
A statement by the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, on Sunday said: “It was also revealed that the victim is suffering from mental illness and she is being transported to 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 hospital.
“The other two children of the victim with her husband were brought to the Station contrary to the allegations of the victim that they were killed by the husband for money ritual.
“The victim was taken to hospital by the Police for medical examination.
“Police has 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 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.
“It is only investigating that can determine the truthfulness or otherwise of the allegations.
“And our laws presumes the accused person to be innocent until proven guilty by Court of competent jurisdiction.”