Nigerians demand justice after Ibadan mob burns man alive over Yahoo boy allegations

• Nigerians are demanding justice for Oderinde Saheed, who was allegedly beaten and burned alive by a mob in Ibadan.

• Saheed was reportedly accused of being a “Yahoo boy” after a road accident, despite no evidence.

• His younger brother, who was in the vehicle, was also attacked and is reportedly hospitalised with critical injuries.

A growing online campaign is demanding justice for Oderinde Saheed, popularly known as "Seedorf," a young man who was beaten and burned alive by an angry mob in the Ajia area of Ona-Ara Local Government Area, Ibadan, after being wrongly accused of being an internet fraudster.

According to reports, the incident occurred on August 25 after Saheed was involved in a road accident that allegedly resulted in a pedestrian being hit. 

Witnesses and bystanders who gathered at the scene reportedly accused him of being a "Yahoo boy," a term commonly used in Nigeria for internet fraudsters, and proceeded to attack him without any formal investigation or evidence. 

The mob allegedly assaulted him before setting both him and his vehicle on fire. Saheed died at the scene.

His younger brother, who was in the vehicle with him at the time, was also assaulted during the attack. He reportedly sustained critical injuries and remains hospitalised, where he is said to be fighting for his life.

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In the days since, the hashtag #JusticeForOderindeSaheed has circulated widely online, with Nigerians condemning the killing as a case of jungle justice and calling for accountability. 

Campaign posts shared across social media have stressed that regardless of the circumstances surrounding an accident or dispute, no group has the right to act as judge, jury and executioner outside the law.

They have also called on the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a transparent investigation into the killing.

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The case adds to a long-running pattern of mob violence in Nigeria tied to unverified accusations, where accusations alone, without any formal evidence, have repeatedly led to fatal vigilante attacks on young men, particularly in cases involving car accidents, theft, or unfamiliar faces in a community.

As of publication, it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made in connection with Saheed's killing, and authorities have not issued an official statement addressing the case or confirming an investigation is underway.