Namayingo 'piglet thief' loses arm in mob attack

Apr 13, 2016

The piglets were reportedly stolen from a pig sty belonging to Andrew Muwanika.

NAMAYINGO - An irate mob has cut off the arm of a man suspected of stealing two piglets in Namayingo district.

Were Bernard, 26, is now nursing a stump wound at a local health centre. The group used a machete to chop off his arm.

The piglets were reportedly stolen from a pig sty belonging to Andrew Muwanika, who resides in the village of Nangira, Banda sub-county.

Samuel Kidangole, the Namayingo district police officer in charge of the criminal investigation department, told New Vision on Wednesday that the suspect was admitted at Buyinja health centre IV.

"I have instructed my subjects to trace and apprehend the people behind this cruel act [chopping off the man's arm]. We are not going to tolerate people that take the law in their hands," he said.

A relative of the victim, Joseph Wafula, told New Vision that Were's hand was severed "almost at a section where the limb attaches to the shoulder line."

Police was told that Were is reported to have sneaked into the backyard of Muwanika's home at around dawn, gained access to the pig sty and stolen the piglets.

It was not a successful mission as the piglets started to squeak incessantly, drawing the attention of the people at Muwanika's home. They made an alarm that attracted neighbours and one emerged wielding a machete and cut off the suspected thief's arm.

The area local council chairperson, Peter Matende, had to intervene to restrain the angry mob from lynching Were.

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