“You Can Work Like This, Yet You Chose Theft?” — Residents Land Thief Multiple Slaps, Make Him Desilt Stinking Gutter As Punishment

A suspected thief was made to desilt a choked gutter by residents after being caught attempting to escape with stolen items, in the latest example of a community opting for hands-on punishment over mob violence.

As he worked, one resident pointedly questioned him, “So you can work like this, yet you have chosen theft as your job?”, capturing the frustration behind the punishment.

Videos from the scene show the man working the gutter under the watch of onlookers who had gathered after catching him in the act.

The practice has become an increasingly common alternative to outright mob justice in communities across Ghana, with similar incidents recorded in areas including Nkrumah Circle, Santasi, Kasoa, and communities within Ga, where suspected thieves have been made to clean drains rather than face physical violence.

In several past cases, communities have gone further, providing the offender with food, water, and even bath facilities after the punishment, framing the exercise as corrective rather than purely punitive.

While such community-led punishments continue to draw mixed reactions, with some praising the restraint shown compared to violent mob justice, others have raised concerns over the health risks of forcing individuals to handle unsanitary drain waste with little protective equipment.

Watch the video HERE.