Cameroon: Man almost lynched for theft

A mop-wielding vigilante beat a man to near death after he snatched a passerby’s phone.

The incident occurred in Douala in the Makepe Petit Pays neighbourhood in the early hours of Tuesday, September 5. MMI has not yet identified the thief, who was walking down the street when he noticed a young man using his phone. He snatched the phone from behind and started running away.

The victim shouted at the top of his voice while running behind the thief, alerting a mob to gather behind him with sticks, stones, and other instruments they could pick.

“I saw this young man running so fast that I got scared of what the issue was since we both were on the same street. And a few seconds after I heard a voice shouting “Thief, thief,” he stole my phone. That is how I discovered it was a thief I passed,” recounted an eyewitness.

“I then decided to join the person whose phone was stolen to shout… many others joined us, and we succeeded in getting hold of the thief,” our source said, adding that “he was seriously beaten to near death before security forces intervened.”

The authorities arrived and saved his life. Prior to their arrival, the bandit had fainted three times, MMI has learned.

He is currently in custody, and he has sustained severe injuries.

This is one in a series of mob justice cases in Cameroon.

Experts hold that “letting the police handle crime is important because they are trained to do so safely and effectively. Vigilantes can cause serious injuries or even death, and they can never justify their actions.”