Chepareria residents in West Pokot have barricaded Kitale-Lodwar highway to demand the release of a man arrested by police after he was allegedly nabbed luring a minor with sweets with the intention of kidnapping him.
The irate locals who are baying the suspect blocked the busy highway with burning tyres and huge stones in a bid to stop police from transferring him to Kapenguria police station.
Benson Krop, one of the locals, said the suspect was riding a motorcycle heading towards Kakurut area and he stopped and gave a sweet to a child enticing him to board his motorcycle.
“Some of the road users suspected the bodaboda rider was up to no good. They stopped and confronted him on why he was giving sweets to children but he sped off,” he said.
The locals mobilized bodaboda riders who followed the suspect and caught up with him at Senetwo area after his motorcycle run out of fuel.
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Mudang Juma, another resident, added that police officers got an alert and immediately rescued the man from the angry locals who were baying for his blood.
“Police officers rescued him and took him to the police post. But still, hundreds of people milled around the police post demanding for his release,” he said
He added that police had to use teargas to disperse the crowd.
Moses Kapkama, another resident said some unidentified people have been spotted in the area luring minors with sweets.
During the fracas, a police vehicle from Lodwar was stoned as locals thought it was moving the suspect from the station.
Police are yet to respond to requests for comment.
