Police Rescue Suspected Ogun Motorcycle Thief Forced to Drink Poison

​ABEOKUTA — The Ogun State Police Command has intervened in a grim case of extrajudicial punishment, rescuing a 26-year-old man, Timothy Ashamu, who was allegedly forced to ingest Gamaline—a toxic agricultural pesticide—by individuals seeking vengeance over a series of motorcycle thefts.

​The incident, which took place in Oke-Odan, Yewa South Local Government Area, has once again cast a harsh spotlight on the rising dangers of “jungle justice” and citizen vigilantism in the state.

​Anatomy of the Attack and Rescue

​According to the state police public relations officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the ordeal began when Ashamu was cornered at a farm in Oke-Odan by three individuals. The attackers allegedly overpowered him and forced him to swallow the dangerous substance as an act of retaliation.

​Detectives attached to the Owode-Yewa Division acted on a distress tip-off, mounting a swift rescue operation. Officers rushed Ashamu to a nearby medical facility, where he is currently admitted, receiving intensive treatment and steadily responding to medical intervention.

​Police investigations subsequently revealed that Ashamu’s ordeal was tied to a string of violent robberies.

• ​The Initial Theft: In October 2026, Ashamu was accused of robbing one Adetunji Vincent of his Bajaj motorcycle along Agosu Road in Oke-Odan.

• ​Broader Confessions: Further interrogation indicated that Ashamu allegedly confessed to masterminding the theft of over three motorcycles, routinely utilizing lethal weapons—including hammers, sticks, and cutlasses—to dispossess his victims.

​Arrests and Ongoing Manhunt

​Following leads provided by the hospitalized suspect, police operatives tracked down and arrested one of the alleged attackers. The suspect, identified as Abiodun Oniyide (popularly known as Aje Alaje), was picked up during a targeted police raid in Ihunbo.

​Authorities confirmed that Ashamu positively identified Oniyide as one of the primary culprits who forced the toxic pesticide down his throat.

​”A container suspected to have held Gamaline was recovered from the scene as a vital exhibit,” police noted.

​While Oniyide remains in custody, a rigorous manhunt is underway to track down the remaining two accomplices linked to the poisoning. The case file is currently being prepared for immediate transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at Eleweran, Abeokuta, for comprehensive profiling and prosecution.

ADVERTISEMENT

​Condemnation of Jungle Justice

​Reacting to the development, the Ogun State Police Command strongly condemned the actions of the attackers, emphasizing that criminality by a suspect does not give citizens the license to subvert the rule of law.

​The command stressed that suspected offenders must face lawful arrest, thorough investigation, and judicial prosecution rather than resorting to barbaric acts of torture and poisoning. Residents have once again been urged to channel all grievances and intelligence regarding criminal elements through official law enforcement channels instead of taking matters into their own hands.