A 42-year-old man, Kwabena Otoo, narrow­ly escaped death on the dawn of Monday when residents of Assin Adubiase lynched him, having been accused of stealing 19 fowls and a dog.

“I heard the commotion from my house,” said a res­ident who wished to remain anonymous. “By the time I reached the scene, there was already a crowd surround­ing him. His pleas for mer­cy were drowned by angry voices.”

Otoo, bleeding profusely and severely injured, might have lost his life if not for a timely distress call to the Assin Fosu Divisional Police Command.

Officers arrived around 4am, pushing through the mob to rescue the battered man.

“We found him in criti­cal condition,” shared one responding officer. “Every minute counted in getting him medical attention.”

Now recovering at the Assin Fosu Polyclinic, Otoo suffered physical wounds but also faces uncertain future as investigations continue.

Medical staff report in­dicated that he suffered multiple injuries requiring immediate treatment.

Community members claim Otoo’s contradictory answers during questioning triggered their suspicions and subse­quent assault.

One witness explained that, “people here have lost too much to thieves… frus­tration has been building for months.”

The Police have confirmed Otoo is from neighbouring As­sin Odumase and are calling for anyone missing fowls or a dog to come forward as part of their investigation.

“This could have ended in tragedy,” warned a police spokesperson. “We under­stand community frustra­tions, but mob justice is never the answer. We urge citizens to report crimes rather than taking matters into their own hands.”

 From Kingsley E. Hope, Ku­masi