In the early hours of Sunday, June 4, 2023, a suspected thief who was thought to be in his late 40s was allegedly lynched by unidentified assailants in Bibiani, the administrative center of the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipality in the Western North Region.
The man’s lifeless body was reportedly discovered off the Bibiani-Bekwai road between Whenampori and Nantwikumye.
Residents of Bibiani and the towns around it claim that theft and robbery cases have become a serious concern since they frequently victimize individuals while the security forces have not made any arrests.
The dead man’s unmoving body was discovered between Hwenampori and Nantwikumye before dawn, according to some locals who went to the scene and spoke to the media.
They hailed the murder as wonderful news because thieves had been harassing them and warned that anyone found stealing would also be killed.
In a media interview, Adam Smith, an assemblyman from the Hwenampori Electoral Area, said that the lynching would serve as a deterrence to other thieves and that the victim, who is purportedly from Abuakwa in the Ashanti Region, had previously been apprehended there for a similar act.
“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.
Adam Smith said, “I told the youth to kill any thief they caught in the neighborhood,” and added, “I also told the youth to work hard to earn a living.”
The body of the deceased has already been transported to the Bibiani Government Hospital by the police.
