Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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Some residents of Igirigiri area in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti state, have been apprehended by the police in the state, following the death of a middle-aged man, who was allegedly stoned to death by an irate mob.

The Hope Metro gathered that the deceased (real names unknown), who was said to be a leader in one of the white garment churches located at the Igirigiri area of the town was caught in the early hours of the day, allegedly harvesting human feaces from Matthew street neighbourhood in the town.

Sources claimed that the man was sighted by an unidentified elderly woman, who raised alarm which prompted youths in the area to arrest him.

Some people in various parts of the town reportedly paraded the suspect  round some popular streets in the town,  including the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, to report the incident, before taking him to igirigiri area, where he was stoned to death.

When our correspondent visited the scene, it was learnt that the  cleric,  suspected to be a ritualist was lynched for allegedly consuming the feaces.

The remains of the late cleric partly burnt was seen lying  behind the gutter on the street,  of  Igirigiri street, called Red Roof junction.

According to the sources who spoke with The Hope Metro,  the man was stripped naked, while they were beating him, saying that the victim tried to escape by mentioning the names of  some clergymen in the town he claimed to know.

“The mob had followed him to a white garment church at the Odo Ado area. But when they couldn’t get the clergyman the victim mentioned at home, the deceased took to his heels. But the pursuing mob caught up with him at the Red Roof Junction,”they revealed.

The mob were also said to have  pulled down the roof of the church and destroyed its property, including all they found at an adjoining room, the neighbours described as the church’s office.

None of the witnesses at the neighbourhood could identify the victim, with all of them, directing newsmen to Matthew Street,  where they claimed the whole thing started.

Immediately newsmen arrived at the area, the witnesses at the Red Roof had dispersed,  refusing to speak for fear of being victims of police raid when the security agents arrived to investigate the incident.

All the witnesses could give as reasons for the killing of the man,was that an old woman who spotted him gathering feaces raised alarm, and he was caught.

The witnesses further claimed that the man was lynched on the suspicion that he was a ritualist.

As at press time, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu, could not be reached for his comments on the incident, as his telephone handset was switched off.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Odo Ado said he was not at the office and had not been briefed of the incident, saying “we are currently busy where the Vice President is having an event.”

Meanwhile, a source from the  police station said the police swung into action immediately the Vice President left the town.

He explained that scores of residents of the town have been arrested, while the body of the late cleric has been evacuated and deposited at the morgue in the town.