Mob beats up suspected child abductor in Nyeri

A middle-aged man was rescued by police from angry members of the public who beat him up, accusing him of abducting a school boy.

Plainclothes and uniformed police officers from Iftin Police Station had to shoot several times in the air to disperse the mob.

The officers finally managed to rescue the man, but after he was seriously injured by the rowdy mob, which beat him up with crude weapons.

According to Ahmed Ibrahim, a relative of the boy, the seven-year-old was abducted on his way to a swimming pool in one of the hotels by a man on a motor bike. He said the man grabbed the boy before speeding off with him.

For the last two weeks there had been rumours, fanned by the social media, that children are being abducted in the town by unknown people.

However, the police say no cases of missing children have been reported to them.

"We have taken him to hospital for treatment because he was badly injured. He is now under our custody pending investigations," said Ibrahim.

Ibrahim said the boy, who has been in the country for only three weeks, is from United Kingdom and was shouting, "where are you taking me" while the rider continued to accelerate and that he followed him up on another another motorbike while shouting for help.