A father of six has been attacked by a mob for stealing two tubers of yam. He was beaten into unconsciousness after he was caught with the yam tubers at Madalla market last Thursday.  The 48-year-old man identified as Ya’u would have been lynched if not for the timely intervention of few elders who rescued him. 


He said the accused pretended that he wanted to buy yam from a trader and had a polythene bag with him, adding that he then volunteered to help another woman who had already bought 45 tubers from the same trader to convey them to her car.

"It was while he was moving the yam tubers that he removed two tubers and put them inside the polythene bag he was carrying. He did not know that someone was watching him," the witness said.

He said the man attempted to hide the bag by a culvert. The witness explained that the woman, a restaurateur, upon counting the yam tubers in her vehicle raised an alarm when she discovered that some tubers were missing, Daily Trust reports.

The witness said the woman then confronted the trader which led to an argument that attracted a crowd. He said it was during the argument the person who saw the accused put the yam tubers in the sack pointed to him as he tried to hide in the crowd.

The missing tubers were later found inside the bag of the accused and that caused some angry youth in the crowd to pounce on him and beat him up.

He was later handed over to the vigilante group. A member of the vigilante, who did not give his name, confirmed the incident, saying the accused was allowed to go after the intervention of Madalla market leaders and some elders.