I was almost lynched, killed because people mistook me for a thief - Young footballer

An eighteen year-old footballer who trains with Race Course Academy, Osei Agyekum has given a chilling account of how he was nearly lynched to death at Teshie here in Accra on Monday after some irate youth mistook him for a thief.

His encounter he said, occurred about two weeks ago and was incited by a neighbor within his old vicinity. In an exclusive interview with Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, the young footballer Osei said, the one who incited the attack on him has been his neighbor for ten solid years.

According to him, his family moved out of their old house into a new one but the father asked him to go and pack some items from their old house into the new one. Acting upon the orders of the father, he went to the old house at around 4am, knocked at the door and was allowed in.

He parked the items but as a regular joggler, he told his neighbors at the old house not to lock the door since he will come back for the items. However, he came back only to meet the door locked. ''So I knocked on the door several times but no one opened the door.

I had a MP3 which I used to hit the door but no one opened. ‘’So I decided to jump the wall so I will be able to go in and send the items to our new house. Unfortunately for me, my neighbor who I had known for ten years but hated me pounced on me, attacked me and started shouting thief, thief, in some few minutes, some irate youth joined them to attack me.

In that area, when you are caught as a thief, you will not survive. You will be lynched to death. And that was what I nearly suffered.’’ ‘’I was dragged and beaten until I managed to escape to the police station in an attempt to escape from death.

Whiles escaping, another young person held me so they could continue to lynch me, but I managed to escape. It was a terrible experience but God saved me.’’

He told the host that the late Captain Maxwell Mahama’s death gave him memories of his experience and called for justice for the late military capo.

He condemned the attack and called for serious sanctions against anyone who is caught in such an act.

‘’We have to take this people on so instant justice will stop in this country.’’