LAGOS MAN BEATEN TO DEATH WEEKS BEFORE WEDDING

A man identified simply as Basit, who had reportedly returned to Nigeria from abroad for his wedding, has been beaten to death by a mob following an alleged hit-and-run incident on Lagos Island, Lagos State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday night in the Patey area of Lagos Island.

It was gathered that Basit was driving through the community when he allegedly hit a male resident who was attempting to cross the road.

According to residents, Basit allegedly drove away after the incident instead of stopping to attend to the victim.

His action reportedly angered residents, who chased after him and eventually caught up with him.

A resident familiar with the incident said the collision occurred as Basit was approaching the other end of Freeman Street.

The resident said people initially expected him to stop after hitting the pedestrian, but he allegedly continued driving before being pursued and apprehended.

Another resident, Afolabi Lawal, said the mob descended on Basit after catching him and attacked him with dangerous weapons.

Lawal said the attackers used sticks and bottles during the assault, with Basit sustaining serious injuries to his head.

“He was hit with sticks and bottles on his head, which caused him to sustain a head injury. He went unconscious and later died,” Lawal said.

The mob reportedly fled the scene after realising that Basit had become unresponsive.

The deceased was said to have been preparing for his wedding, which was reportedly scheduled to take place in about two weeks.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, could not be reached for comments on the incident.

Calls placed to her telephone line on Sunday were reportedly unanswered, while a text message sent to her had not received a response as of the time of filing the report.

However, a police source disclosed that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing.

“Some suspects have been taken into custody, and the remains of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue,” the source said.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged hit-and-run and the subsequent mob attack are expected to form part of the ongoing police investigation.