Willis Olilo Opose spent two days in a mortuary after police thought he had died following an attack.

A former well-known gangster at Ebusakami Enyaita in Luanda sub-county, Vihiga, together with his friends formed an outlawed gang that used to terrorize area residents.

Things took a twist when he was waylaid while going back home after a vigil.

“Thieves had just robbed one of the shops at Esamwenyi and when we heard people screaming for help, we headed in the direction. On reaching the scene, the crowd turned on us, suspecting that we were the thieves,” he said.

Surrounded

They were immediately surrounded by a mob of people who rushed to the scene from the funeral and beat them thoroughly.

“One of them took the panga I was carrying and slashed my mouth. That is how I lost my teeth. One of my friends escaped unhurt but my colleague and I were beaten senseless and I lost unconsciousness,” Olilo said.

“Police came and picked our ‘bodies.’ When I came to, I realised that my friend had indeed died. The police stopped their vehicle on the way to the hospital and hit me on the head with a gun,” he claimed.

Morgue

“I started screaming and the gatekeepers came to see what was happening. They thought that I was a ghost and ran away. They closed the door behind me despite pleading with them that I wasn’t a ghost,” he said.

Olilo said that after two days in the mortuary, one of the guards decided to call a doctor who came and examined him.

“I was admitted to hospital under tight security and was eventually discharged after healing and gaining my strength,” he said.