Africa-Press – Lesotho. TUMELO Raboi, a feared young man from Motimposo who was a notorious murderer, was burnt to death by angry villagers in the wee hours last week. The villagers took the law into their own hands after Raboi stabbed to death his fourth victim following their drunken squabbles at a bar, the police say.
Police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Kabelo Halahala said Raboi stabbed the other man five times on the neck and he died on the spot. S/Supt Halahala said no arrests have been made so far.
“We are still investigating. We want to know who lit the fire,” he said. Chief Leloko Theko of Motimposo confirmed the harrowing incidents to thepost.
The chief said the incident happened in the wee hours of Sunday while the two men were at a bar in the village. “The two were embroiled in an altercation that saw another stabbing the other to death,” Chief Theko said.
Chief Theko said the suspect fled the scene following the incident and hid at his home. But the community policing forum managed to get hold of him and marched him to the chief’s place.
Chief Theko said he was not at his home when the incident happened. He said he was told by one of the community policing forum members that the furious community “wanted to deal with the deceased”.
“He told me that they were uncontrollable,” Chief Theko said.
Faced with the volatile situation, the chief informed the police who gave an excuse that they did not have a car and therefore they could not attend to the scene at that time.
“I then informed the army’s rapid response unit who also told me that they did not have a car but would find means to get to the scene quickly,” Chief Theko said.
He said he was later informed that the furious, unruly mob set Raboi on fire. At the time both police and army arrived at the scene, the man was already burning.
However, the security agents were able to rescue his body from the flames. “He was able to speak telling the people that they should straighten his legs,” Chief Theko said.
But the man later died. Chief Theko said the burnt man grew up in his village as a young boy. He said the man has at least stabbed three people to death in the area.
“The one he stabbed on Sunday was the fourth one,” he said.
“He has more knife casualties in the area,” Chief Theko said.
What made him believe the burnt man was a gangster was that his body was full of tattoos. “He had tattoos all over his body. He had an earring on his nose,” he said.
“He also had about five ear rings on the same ear,” the Chief added.
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