by Zara Mustapha

A suspected kidnapper was caught and lynched by a mob Owode Onirin, between Mile 12 and Ikorodu in Lagos after an unsuccessful attempt to abduct an 11-year-old girl.

The man was caught on Monday morning at the by passers-by who suspected all was not well with the odd pair.

According to a witness who tweeted about the incident, the girl told the crowd she stays at the Ogba area of Lagos, and was sent on an errand when the suspect grabbed her hand, leading her away.

She tried to struggle but he reportedly rubbed his palm on her face and suddenly she couldn’t remember who or where she was and started to follow him.

A crowd descended on the man, stripped and began to beat him when they realized he may have kidnapped the girl.

Read the eyewitness account of the incident below:

Just witnessed mob action on a Monday morning. My voice is almost hoarse from all the screaming.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

On my way to work, I passed by a crowd huddled around someone. My first reaction in these situations is to walk on as it's usually a fight.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

Then a lady runs up to me shouting that a kidnapper has been caught. I walked up to the crowd & saw the child in the middle of all this.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

She's 11 years old with no idea of the street she lives nor the name of the people she lives with.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

She's 11 years old with no idea of the street she lives nor the name of the people she lives with.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

When asked what happened, she said she was going on an errand on her street when this man walks up to her & grabs her by the hand.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

When she tried to resist, he rubs his palm over her face & she loses all sense of coordination and follows him.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

Then we ask her where her street is, she responds that it's in ogba… the man was caught in Owode Onirin, between Mile 12 and Ikorodu.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

At this time, the mob has already beaten the hell out of this man. I kept insisting that he should be taken to the police station.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

But with all the shouting, no one was listening to me. Then a teenage boy gets a bottle of petrol & pours on him… then I started to scream

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

I kept screaming that they shouldn't burn him but take him to the station. They refused, citing that the police will let him go.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

A police patrol van passed by. We were shouting & waving at them to stop but the buffoons just smiled and drove on.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

They were still questioning him when I left. I just hope they won't do anything stupid.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

This is the suspected kidnapper. pic.twitter.com/Xp4FCbymZs

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

This is the girl in question. I just hope they can locate her people pic.twitter.com/hVFTUwX7zY

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

I always thought I was hard. When the boy poured the petrol, my voice started to crack as I was on the verge of tears.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

I always thought I was hard. When the boy poured the petrol, my voice started to crack as I was on the verge of tears.

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014

People have completely lost faith in the police. They'd rather take the law into their hands…more often than not, a death sentence follows

— Rita C. Onwurah (@RitaOnwurah) June 2, 2014