85-year-old man escapes lynching after molesting girl, 14

Baba Yellow

An 85-year-old man known to the Somolu community as Baba Yellow on Wednesday, escaped death at the hands of an angry mob when residents discovered that he had sexually molested a 14 year old girl(name withheld).

Policemen attached to the Onipanu police division were said to have stopped the mob action by arresting Baba Yellow and dispersing the crowd consisting of enraged mothers and petty traders.

Before the intervention of the police, the crowd had dragged Baba Yellow from his residence at George Street and booed him through the community for over an hour.

A resident who identified himself as Olamide said, “The mob stripped and on the verge of lynching him when the police arrived.

“It was one of Baba Yellow’s neighbours who discovered that he had been sleeping with the girl. The neighbour had seen her leaving Baba Yellow’s room and he is notorious in the community for sleeping with young girls.

“The girl’s guardian was immediately informed and she raised the alarm after the girl confessed that Baba Yellow had been having regular sex with her.”
The enraged guardian allegedly marched to Baba Yellow’s house, where she engaged him in a shouting match after she confirmed from his neighbours that her ward had indeed been a regular visitor to Baba Yellow’s apartment.

A father of four grown-ups, Baba Yellow lives with his wife in a one-bedroom apartment. However, the wife who plies her trade at the Mile 2 market is usually away from home during the day.

His victim told PUNCH METRO that she met Baba Yellow at Sunday market, Somolu where she had gone to purchase some items for her guardian. She said, “He gave me some money and asked me to come to his house. When I didn’t show up, he later came to my compound to look for me. That was how we went to his room and had sex. He has been sleeping with me for a month.”

PUNCH METRO gathered that this is not Baba Yellow’s first victim. For over the 30 years he had lived in Somolu, the octogenarian was said to have served a prison term once for molesting a young girl. Sources within the Somolu community said his victims were many.

A mother, who identified herself as Mrs. Biliki Usman said, “He already has a reputation here and most mothers warn their daughters to stay clear of him. Yet he manages to always get victims. There have been claims that he hypnotizes his victims. In 2005, Baba Yellow was arrested and convicted of sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl. He served three years in Kirikiri. In 2011, he was arrested by the Alade police division for sexually molesting a nine year old too. The matter was later settled and did not get to court. There had been other countless arrests.

“Everyone is tired of him; he is a danger to young children and we just want him out of our community, forever.”

But Baba Yellow told the angry mob that he was lured by the 14-year-old girl.

He said, “Each time she comes to my house, she would undress herself and ask me to look at her breast. You can see she has been coming to me all this while on her own; she is a flirt and spoiled child.”

It was learnt that the girl had been taken to Oguntolu General Hospital for medical attention.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, when contacted said, “I will get back to you when I have got the details.

Culled from PUNCH