A bodaboda thief in Bonchari Sub-County on Wednesday evening narrowly escaped death after an unsuccessful hijacking attempt in the busy town.
According to Josephat Masai, the victim, the thief masquerading as a passenger had hired a rider in the mid-morning hours to take him to Iyabe Village for some unspecified business.
The rider and his passenger left Suneka Town and in a thickly-forested area before Iyabe, the suspect struck and attempted to execute a choke-hold on the unsuspecting rider.
“I didn’t know what was happening until I felt an arm around my neck, choking and squeezing. I couldn’t breathe,” said the victim.
He managed to stop the bike and spiritedly fought off the thief who later fled into the bush after realising he was overpowered. Masai then called for reinforcement from other bodaboda riders and a massive four-hour hunt ensued as the riders combed the thicket in search of the thief.
The thief had oddly crawled under a thicket and fallen asleep.
After being identified, the enraged mob descended on the suspect with kicks and blows before a police vehicle on patrol arrived at the scene and rescued the dazed man.
Their anger unspent, the bodaboda riders pursued the police vehicle demanding to have the suspect and it was not until the police were back into the safety of the police station and the suspect whisked into the police cell did emotions calm down.
“The police’s arrival was timely. They arrived and took him away before we could teach him a lesson of a lifetime,” said Alex Mokua, a rider.
Attacks against bodaboda riders in the region have gradually decreased from last year following close cooperation between the police and the riders.
The suspect is currently being held in Gesonso Police Station awaiting to be arraigned in court.