By Anamati Inyang
November 14, 2025
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two security guards in connection with the death of a site engineer, Solomon Ode, who was lynched at a construction site in Eko Atlantic City.
The incident reportedly took place on Friday, October 31. According to sources, security guards were pursuing suspected thieves attempting to steal iron rods from the construction site when they saw Ode nearby and mistakenly identified him as one of the culprits.
A police source told RISMADAR Voice Blog that there had been concerns about missing building materials in the area, prompting the security guards to apprehend Ode. “He kept insisting he was not involved, but they refused to listen. They beat him until he died and left his body by the riverbank,” the source said.
Social media accounts detailed the search for Ode after he failed to return home. John Ona, in a Facebook post on November 5, reported that Ode’s roommate, Simon Odigri, and several others discovered through a security guard that someone had been attacked near the construction site.
Ona explained that the guards allegedly assaulted Ode with cutlasses and other weapons, demanding a confession. “He tried to explain that he was not involved and that the real suspects had escaped, but they continued to beat him,” the post read.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the arrests on Thursday. “Two security guards have been taken into custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department for questioning. The corpse has been taken to the morgue, and the family has been notified. Investigation is ongoing,” she said.
Ode’s death highlights the persistent problem of jungle justice and mob violence in Nigeria. In a similar case reported in March, a suspected armed robber died in a hospital after being rescued from a lynching attempt in Agege, Lagos State.
