An unidentified man, believed to be in his early 30s, was tragically set on fire after being accused of stealing a motorbike at Agona Asafo in the Agona East District of the Central Region.
According to reports from Adom News, the deceased was cutting bamboo when his friend asked for his help to push a motorbike, which he unknowingly discovered was stolen.
The motorbike belonged to a farmer who also worked as an okada rider.
The farmer had parked his motorbike while working on his farm but later discovered it was missing.
After alerting fellow riders, the suspected thief sought their assistance in starting the motorbike.
However, one rider overheard the conversation, prompting the thief to flee. A hunter then threatened to shoot him if he tried to escape.
The deceased was subsequently captured by a group of okada riders and forced to lead them to the location where the motorbike was parked.
Upon retrieving the bike, the group dragged him to the outskirts of the town, severely beat him, and then set him on fire.
The Assemblyman for Agona Asafo Electoral Area, Ishmael Odoom, condemned the mob justice and suggested it could have been a reprisal attack, as three other okada riders had been killed and their motorbikes stolen in the past month.
Mr. Odoom called on okada riders to refrain from instant justice and stressed the importance of community engagement and sensitisation by the police.
The body of the deceased has been taken to the Agona Swedru Municipal Hospital Mortuary, and the Agona Swedru Police have launched an investigation into the incident.