Anuoluwapo Sanni, 26-year-old wife of a man who was rescued from being lynched by an angry Lagos mob, who descended on him on suspicion of terrorism, has spoken out about her husband’s state of mind.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, had in a tweet on Monday said the man, Gafar Sanni, was rescued by men of the command from the mob in the Ijora area of Lagos.
Hundeyin explained that Gafar, who claimed to be an electrician, was found with a bag containing three hammers, six screwdrivers, one pair of pliers, one chisel, five spanners, three rolls of black cellophane, cable wires, 20mm bending spring, a pair of black trousers, and a plastic box of clips.
However, the suspect’s wife, Anuoluwapo, who spoke on Tuesday, denied that her husband was a terrorist.
She said, “We were both at home with the children when he said he was going out to work around 8am on Monday. So, when he started dressing up to go out, I observed he was dressing unusually. He wore a Muslim robe, used a cloth to cover his nose, put on a hijab, and put on a dark shade.
“I told him he could not leave the house that way but he took his bag containing his equipment, told me to get out of his way and left for work. I asked where he was going to work but he didn’t tell me the location.
“One hour after he left for work, I received a call from the Divisional Crime Officer, Ijora Badia Police Station. The DCO said my husband was arrested and that some boys apprehended him for dressing like a Boko Haram suspect.
“Immediately, I contacted his mother and we both visited the station. When we got there, I was asked to explain how he left the house and I described it and also told them I was against his mode of dressing.”
Anuoluwapo, the mother of two, Abdulafeez, 5, and Abdulmajeed, 2, said it was the first time her husband would dress in such a manner.
“Since last month, he has been behaving strangely at home. He can just sit alone and start speaking incoherently. Whenever I asked him what was going on, he would say nothing. At times, when I serve him food, he won’t eat it. When his strange behaviour became constant, I informed his father and he promised to look into the matter.
“My husband is not a terrorist. The police should please release him. He has been taking care of me and my children as I no longer have parents,” she added.
Gafar’s father, Jamiu, said after his son’s wife informed him of his strange behaviour, he took him to a traditional home, adding that after the treatment, he became normal.
The 58-year-old said, “We never knew he would relapse; if we had known, we would have taken him to a psychiatric hospital. Whenever he relapses, he will start speaking abnormally or acting angrily and when we pet him, he will calm down. He is not a Boko Haram terrorist; he is an electrician.”
The police spokesperson, Hundeyin, said the suspect had been transferred to the police headquarters.
“If a doctor certifies him to be mentally unstable, we will release him,” he added.
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