A yet-to-be-identified man was left in a critical condition after being scalded with hot oil by a mob for allegedly stealing groundnut oil in a market near the Alakara Police Station in the Mushin area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened on Friday.

A resident who preferred anonymity while citing personal reasons told our correspondent on Monday that the victim, who posed as a customer, lifted the product from a stall in the market before he was caught in the process.

Irked by his action, a mob in the market was said to have heated part of the groundnut oil he allegedly stole and poured it on his back.

“He pretended to be a customer, and while the owner of the shop was busy attending to others, he lifted a bottle of groundnut oil and left. He did not know he was sighted by another trader. That was how he was approached and caught with the product. He was stripped naked and beaten by the mob, who then decided to heat the groundnut oil and poured it on his back while he was lying down,” the source narrated.

The suspected thief was, however, said to have been left unconscious with severe burns and abandoned near the market.

A concerned resident, Omoluabi Ifeoluwa, who raised the alarm regarding the suspect’s condition, disclosed that the man was found on Sunday lying in a gutter close to the police without medical attention.

Ifeoluwa, who made this known in the community WhatsApp group platform, stated that he received a distress call about the situation and immediately contacted health officials and the police.

According to him, an ambulance was then arranged through the Lagos State Emergency Services, and the team proceeded to the scene.

He wrote, “On receiving a distress call, I was informed that a seemingly lifeless body had been lying in a gutter near Alakara Police Station along Agege Motor Road for over two days without attention. Upon verification of this disturbing report, I promptly contacted the following officials for immediate action: Medical Officer of Health, Mushin Local Government. Supervisor for Health, Mushin Local Government and Divisional Police Officer, Alakara Police Station

“Following this, I arranged for an ambulance through the Lagos State Emergency Services, and we proceeded swiftly to the location. On arrival, we found a man in an extremely critical and unhygienic condition.” According to eyewitnesses, he was allegedly caught attempting to steal groundnut oil. As punishment, the oil was reportedly poured on him, and he was left in that state.”

Ifeoluwa stated that after cleaning him up, the general hospital he was taken thereafter declined to admit him.

“We were advised to transfer him to Gbagada General Hospital for further care. Unfortunately, due to a lack of further support, medical acceptance, or guidance, I was unable to continue with the process. With no clear path forward and without institutional assistance, I was left with no choice but to let him go,” he added.

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer, Enyinna Nwankudu, said efforts were made by the officers to recover him from the spot where he was found.

He said, “When we saw him, we contacted the local government officials and health workers who came to remove him from inside the drainage. He was initially thought to be dead, but he was not. He has been taken care of.”