The 42-year-old was accused of stealing 15kg of mackerel in Ngangue on Tuesday, May 28.

Paul W. cheated death following a violent response from petty traders and some Ngangue residents who accused him of theft. It was at about 6:30pm when the uproar broke out around the busy Njock Mabi junction.

At the centre of the chaotic mob was the 42-year-old man who was being pulled and beaten from all directions with clubs and pieces of firewood picked up from surrounding barbecue sales points. Eyewitnesses said they saw Paul W. collecting a carton of 15 kilogrammes of the fish and trying to make away between homes. They said, at first, they would not take him for stealing the carton of fish until its rightful owner, Marguerite, a woman popularly known for her roasted fish business, raised an alarm shortly after. She said she had gone back home to deploy her utensils to be used that evening when her fish was taken away.

In a coordinated search around the area, Paul was found struggling to stock the fish in a bathroom. The mob unleashed both him and the fish and used clubs and pieces of fire wood to beat up his legs and thighs. As news of the event went round, more young people joined the mob and began lynching the culprit. However, agents of the 2nd District Police Station in New Bell afforded a timely succour to Paul’s rescue. Before their intervention, most of his body parts had been maimed and bled profusely. A source at the Station said the suspect was whisked off for medical attention after which investigations will begin.