A suspected thief believed to be in his late 40s was allegedly lynched by unknown assailants in Bibiani, the capital of the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipality of the Western North Region in the early hours of Sunday, June 4, 2023.
According to an eyewitness, the lifeless body of the man was found between Whenampori and Nantwikumye off the Bibiani-Bekwai road.
Residents of Bibiani and its surrounding communities say robbery cases and theft have become a major problem, as people are victimized on a regular basis, but no arrests have been made by the security agencies.
Citi News was informed that some residents who rushed to the scene told the media that the deceased’s motionless body was found between Hwenampori and Nantwikumye at daybreak.
They described the killing as good news, as thieves have been terrorizing them, and they threatened that any thief caught would suffer the same fate.
Assemblyman for Hwenampori Electoral Area, Adam Smith, explained in a media interview that the lynching would serve as a deterrent to other thieves, adding that the deceased, who is allegedly from Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region, had been arrested in the area on a similar crime once before.
“A year ago, a suspected thief was caught, so the lynching will serve as a deterrent to other thieves who might want to come to this area. People work hard to buy things for their homes, and then thieves come and steal them. We learned that he was from Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region and came here to steal. Anyone caught stealing will be punished. I am warning all thieves that if you dare come here, you will not return. We are appealing to the youth to work hard to earn a living and to stop stealing,” he urged.
Confirming that he had instructed the youth to kill any thief they caught in the area, Adam Smith further advised the youth to work hard to earn a living.
The police have since taken the deceased’s body to the Bibiani Government Hospital.
