Four arrested for assaulting man over alleged fake transfer in Ondo

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested four persons over the alleged assault and public humiliation of a resident, whose video was recorded and circulated on social media following allegations that he made a fake bank transfer of N50,000.

Sources familiar with the incident said the victim was accused of making a fraudulent N50,000 bank transfer before he was allegedly beaten and filmed by some individuals, who later shared the footage online. The police, however, said investigations into the allegation are ongoing and urged the public not to resort to self-help.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the victim, identified as Boluwaji Temidayo, reported the incident at the Okuta Elerinla Police Station on Thursday, alleging that he was attacked on July 21 before the video of the assault was uploaded on various social media platforms.

Jimoh said police operatives launched a technology-driven investigation, using digital intelligence to trace those involved in the alleged assault and the circulation of the video, leading to the arrest of four suspects.

“The suspects arrested are Gbemisola Ariyo, Babatunde Eniola, Adams Tobiloba and Fasusi Bunmi. They are currently in lawful custody and have made useful confessional statements, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other accomplices connected with the incident,” he said.

“Upon the conclusion of the investigation, all persons found culpable will be charged to court in accordance with the law,” the police spokesman added.

The command condemned what it described as the increasing trend of jungle justice, public humiliation of suspects and the circulation of such incidents on social media, stressing that no individual has the legal authority to punish a suspect outside the judicial process.

Reacting, the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, urged residents to report suspected offenders to the police rather than taking the law into their hands, warning that assault, cyberbullying, defamatory publications and trial by social media remain criminal offences punishable under Nigerian law.