A tragic incident unfolded in Southern Ijaw Local Government area of Bayelsa State, where Opuofoni Freeborn Ebimotimi, a highly accomplished graduate of the University of Ibadan, was subjected to a brutal act of mob violence for his alleged involvement in a bread theft.
According to reports from Peoples 93.1 FM in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, the unfortunate incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Honeyhill Tombia.
The episode began when the owner of a local business raised an alarm, drawing the attention of an enraged crowd who subsequently attacked Ebimotimi, resulting in his untimely demise.
Idisemi Opuofoni Freeborn, the younger sister of the deceased, revealed that witnesses and acquaintances who witnessed the incident rushed to the scene, beseeching the angry mob to spare his life. They even offered to compensate for the stolen bread with twice its value. Regrettably, their pleas were met with refusal, and Ebimotimi lost his life.
Idisemi further expressed the challenges their family had faced since the passing of their father, highlighting the extreme poverty that drove her brother to resort to theft in order to alleviate their hunger.
In response to the tragic event, the Bayelsa State Police Command issued a statement indicating that “three suspects had been apprehended and an investigation was underway.”
The statement condemned the actions of the mob and cautioned the public against taking the law into their own hands.
The arrested individuals, identified as Preye Mathew (50 years old), Theophilus Tiro (28 years old), and Famous Precious (22 years old), are currently undergoing interrogation and will face legal proceedings once the investigation concludes, according to SP Asinim Butswat, the Police Public Relations Officer.
