Residents in the Upper East Region are threatening to lynch notorious motor snatchers’ due to what they describe as the failure of the police to bring perpetrators of such crimes to book.
The residents say the menace has become very frequent but little security attention is given to the crime.
Residents say they are robbed of their motorbikes at gunpoint and sometimes even assaulted with machetes.
[contextly_sidebar id=”xcPLQkJBaPZuAFugrSHSBV2pwq4UEQru”]Some incensed residents told Citi News that they will resort to instant justice to the problem if the Police cannot guarantee the safety of the motorists in the region.
“If you report to the Police by the time you have realized they have released them and the person will still go back to whatever he was doing,” one resident said, “We the youth, if we catch someone, we shall hurt the person because I don’t think they (Police) are helping us.”
“If they snatch the motorbike they should be beaten or they should be given a mark they will never forget,” another resident added.
However, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Upper East Regional Police command, ASP Thomas Agbenyo said that the Police cannot be blamed if perpetrators facing a prosecution, are granted bail by the court.
“For instance there is the case of one man,” he explained, “He recently snatched a motor from a lady at gunpoint. If this man were not to be granted bail and was in prison, I think he would not have the chance to do that again.”
He therefore appealed to the court to remand notorious motor snatchers.
“We can only advice the court to help us so that we can help the citizens,’ he said.
ASP Agbenyo added that lynching was wrong and a crime.
“Putting the law into your own hands is wrong,” he advised, “If you are a thief and they catch you, you will carry your day but I will not advice that they [youth] do that.”
By: Selassie A. Amissah Mensah /citifmonline.com/Ghana