Thief passes out from lynching

A thief was caught and beaten to unconsciousness on Friday July 18, at about 3pm, at Lady L. Street Molyko, Buea.

The man, who could be in his early twenties and whose name The Post gave as Franklin Mbah, was caught while stealing a pair of football shoes and a head-set from Queen’s Town Mini-Cite in the neighbourhood. When he was checked, it was discovered that Mbah has been impersonating someone else as the identity card and other documents in his possession belonged to one Sali Abubaka from Muyuka.

Mbah said he lives in Bonduma and only came to Molyko to visit his friend, ‘Method Elvis’, but residents suspected he could be lying since they have not heard of such a name in the neighbourhood and said they believed Mbah could be one of the hoodlums who have been terrorising the area of late. Earlier on that same day, a young girl was attacked and robbed of her belongings.

An eye witness, Alice Tanyi, who also lives in the neighbourhood told onlookers that this was not the only assault recorded that day. ‘‘On the night of July 17, one boy hid beside the Champion Spotline Bar and attacked passersby, making away with their phones and other valuables but he was caught and lynched.

The same evening some boys broke into a student’s room just above my house and stole a gas bottle, a gas plate and a TV set,’’ Tanyi also added.

Another eyewitness on condition of anonymity said, ‘‘I’m very sure that this boy is a member of the gang that stormed the White House Mini-Cite early in the morning and made away with some valuables, though only one was caught. We have not known peace in this neighbourhood lately.” He added that they are very hopeful because they’ve been lucky to get hold of three already.

About an hour after the crowd had beaten the suspect, four mobile intervention police officers arrived at the scene and rescued Mbah from the severe lynching, only releasing him on the condition that such security measures would be taken by the police to ensure that peace prevailed in the neighbourhood.

Mbah has been kept under police custody for questioning, even though he had had to receive some treatment at a hospital pending the severe beating from crowd.