Atwima Nwabiagya: Two scrap dealers lynched at Ntensere over child theft allegations

Two scrap dealers have been brutally lynched by a mob at Ntensere in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District of the Ashanti Region, after residents accused them of attempting to steal a child.

The victims, identified as Alhasan and Nagolo, had reportedly visited the community to purchase scrap materials when suspicion spread that they were attempting to abduct a three-year-old child. The allegation quickly escalated into violence, leading to the mob beating the two men to death before any intervention could be made. Their motorcycle was also set ablaze.

The Unit Committee Vice Chairperson for the area, Saramatu Zackaria, said she was attending a wedding when she received news of the incident.

“I rushed to the scene immediately after I was informed, but unfortunately both men had already been killed,” she said. “This is very unfortunate and unacceptable. We cannot take the law into our own hands.”

She strongly condemned the act and called for a full-scale police investigation, urging residents to exercise restraint. “We must allow the law to work. Mob justice only deepens the problem and leads to the loss of innocent lives,” she added.

The latest incident highlights a growing pattern of mob justice cases in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District. In November 2025, a man suspected of robbery at a construction site in Esaso was lynched by some youth, who also set his tricycle on fire. Residents at the time justified their actions as a response to increasing armed robbery attacks in the area.

Similarly, in October 2025, another suspect accused of stealing livestock was chased through several communities and burned to death at Marban.

The Ashanti Regional Scrap Dealers Association has expressed grave concern over what it describes as targeted attacks on its members.

President of the Association, Alhaji Abdulai Gagala, condemned the killings and called for urgent intervention by security agencies.

“Our members are increasingly becoming victims of mob attacks based on mere suspicion,” he stated. “We are appealing to the police and other authorities to step in and protect legitimate scrap dealers. If nothing is done, more innocent people will lose their lives.”

Police have since launched investigations into the Ntensere killings, while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the morgue for autopsy.

Meanwhile, human rights advocates say the recurring incidents of mob justice reflect a deeper challenge within society, particularly a lack of confidence in the formal justice system. They warn that without swift law enforcement action and community education, such violent occurrences may persist.

Residents and observers alike are now calling for stronger collaboration between security agencies and communities to curb the rising trend and restore public trust in the rule of law.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Jacob Agyenim Boateng