Returnee Beaten to Death by Mob Over Hit-and-Run in Lagos

A man identified simply as Basit, who had just returned to Nigeria from abroad ahead of his wedding, has been beaten to death by a mob following an alleged hit-and-run incident in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday that the incident occurred on Wednesday night in the Patey area of the community, where Basit allegedly hit a male resident with his car.

Rather than stopping, he was said to have driven off, prompting angry residents to give chase.

A resident who witnessed the incident, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, described how the events unfolded.

"He was coming from the other end of Freeman Street, and the incident happened when he was getting close to the other end," the resident said.

"A resident was trying to cross the road when he rammed him. The moment it happened, people thought he would wait, but he did not. He was later chased and caught before the mob descended on him."

Another resident, who identified himself as Afolabi Lawal, said Basit was attacked with dangerous weapons once the mob caught up with him, leaving him unconscious before he eventually died.

"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 attackers reportedly fled the scene once they realised Basit was no longer responding.

Basit's wedding was scheduled to take place in about two weeks, according to residents.

Efforts to get a reaction from the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful as of Sunday, as calls and a text message to her line went unanswered.

However, a police source told PUNCH Metro that some suspects had already 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.