Three suspected livestock thieves escaped lynching from angry residents after they were founding hiding in Turbo forest with stolen animals.
According to Mr. Francis Chemwa Mulati his three cows; two heifers and a bull were stolen from his home at Maloba village in Soy sub location Likuyani Sub County on Thursday night.
“I woke up at about 2:00am and went outside to check whether everything within my compound was well but I was shocked to find the animal shed empty,” said Mr. Chemwa.
He said first he thought he didn’t close the shed well and the animals might have sneaked out to graze in the field.
After looking everywhere around the compound and his farm without seeing them, he raised the alarm that attracted neighbours who quickly responded to his call and launched a search for the animals but they were nowhere to be found.
In the morning they traced the animals’ footprints which headed towards the forest before they got mixed up with other animals prints.
Chemwa said they chose to concentrate in the forest and with help of two forest guards from Turbo forest station they managed to find the animals deep inside the forest.
Also three suspects were arrested; two who are believed to have stolen the animals and one who had bought them ready to transport them to Nairobi where they could be slaughtered.
“First we arrested two suspects who were looking after the animals and they later informed us that they had already negotiated price with a buyer who was on his way to pick and transport them to Nairobi,” said Chemwa.
He said they forced the two suspects to continue communicating and directing the buyer to where they were.
“He came with a lorry Reg. no KCT 250T and we also managed to arrest him before the angry residents descended upon the three with all manner of crude weapons threatening to lynch them,” explained Chemwa.
They were however saved by the forest guards who later handed them to police officer at Turbo station
Residents want thorough investigations to be carried out into the racket and all those behind it to face full wrath of the law.
“If animals can be stolen here and be transported all the way to slaughter houses in Nairobi then it means there’s a big group involved in this racket and we want all of them brought to book,” they said.
