Written by Frankline Bwire and Joseph Amunya 2012-06-22 11:40:00 Read 562 Times

Irate residents when they caught up with a suspected motor bike thief at Burumba estate, Busia. The suspected is a lleged to be among individuals who killed  two boda bodas last sunday. [PHOTOS | Frankline Bwire]

A suspected motorbike thief linked to the murder of two boda boda operators dumped at Mundika area in Busia County, escaped death narrowly after police officers rescued him from an angry mob at Burumba estate, Busia District.

The residents claimed that the suspect was one of the killers of the motorcycle operators, whose bodies were recovered in maize farm 6 days ago, after he was found with a motorbike belonging to one of the deceased.

“We managed to recover one of the two motor bikes that disappeared after our colleagues were killed last Sunday, but we are still doing our investigations to ensure we find the remaining one,” said one of the irate boda boda riders.

Their efforts to ambush the suspect’s accomplice at his house were fruitless, prompting them to beat him up due to his reluctance to disclose more information over the matter.

“We feel that the only way to deal with individuals undertaking criminal activities is to beat them up in a bid to scare those with similar intentions. Why should we spend our time working to earn a living yet some want to get things for free?” asked a resident.

They however, blamed the police officers for being reluctant to deal with the escalating cases of motor bike theft which have left most of the operators in fear as they undertake their duties.

Speaking to journalists at the scene of incident, they alleged that the security officers in the district were harassing innocent people undertaking their duties yet criminal activities were escalating.

“This is an issue that should be looked into by the government. It has also resulted into some of our neighbors being raped by individuals involved in the criminal activities,”

During the incident police officers had a rough time controlling the mob that was baying for the suspect’s blood in an incident that saw the suspect rushing to the police vehicle for his safety despite having been beaten.

The incident comes some few days after two motorcycle operators were murdered and their bodies dumped at Mundika area.

Tension at a Lugari chief's office as an angry mob demands to lynch leaders

Elsewhere, tension was evident at a chief’s office in Mautuma location when an irate mob demanded to lynch leaders of a farmers group whom they accused of defrauding millions of shillings.

Over 80 members of MOFACHI farmers group accompanied by family members and friends arrived at the administrators office in combat mood after three officials accused of using forged documents and acquired aSh 2 million loan from the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) without members authority were summoned.

The three are accused of appending fake 81 members’ signatures and using the society’s name as collateral to acquire the funding four years ago.

According to sources the loan was to be repaid with a Sh 200,000 interest which they failed to honor forcing it to raise to Sh 2.7 million an action that angered the members after they received a demand notice.

Area chief David Lutta Babu and local councilor David Amaswache faced a daunting task convincing the crowd baying for the official’s blood. It forced the chief to summon police officers who whisked away the officials.

He later appealed for calm arguing that the government was now investigating the matter.

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