A suspected thug escaped death narrowly after efforts by an irate mob to lynch him were thwarted by quick intervention of Police Officers.

It is alleged that the middle aged suspect identified as Mr. Zachariah Simiyu was caught red handed attempting to steal property after breaking into a house belonging to Mr. Cyprian Wabwire at Maua village in Nzoia location in Likuyani district, Kakamega County Monday evening.

According to eye-witnesses, area residents had laid down a well coordinated trap that saw the culprit being ambushed moments after he had began packing household property in Wabwire’s house.

The mob descended on Simiyu, clobbering him using all manner of assorted crude weapons before spraying him with kerosene in bid to burn him alive.

It was at the point that police officers on patrol from Matunda police station arrived at the scene and rescued the suspect from the mob who had already set his clothes on fire.

The officers managed to put out the fire before taking him to the police station where he is being withheld pending investigation into the incident.