Policeman, KDF officer held over armed robberies in Nanyuki
Police in Nanyuki are holding four suspects among them a policeman and a KDF officer over a spate of violent robberies in the region.
Police in Nanyuki are holding four suspects among them a policeman and a Kenya Defence Forces officer over a spate of violent robberies in the region over the past week.
The police officer, working as a bodyguard to a senior officer at the Laikipia County Assembly, was accused of hiring out his firearm to criminals.
The criminals carried out robberies in parts of Meru and Nyeri counties.
Laikipia County Police Commander John Nyoike who confirmed the arrests said the suspects were tracked down by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“We are holding the suspects in the police cells but I will not give more information since investigations are ongoing,” Mr Nyoike told the Nation.Africa in his office on Tuesday.
However, multiple police sources confirmed the arrests, indicating that the policeman and the military officer had been implicated in violent robbery incidents in Timau and Gakawa wards in Meru and Nyeri counties respectively.
The robberies were targeting petrol stations, M-Pesa outlets and wholesale shops.
“The police officer was not directly involved in the raids but he hired out his weapon to the criminals. The military officer working as a shooting range supervisor at the Laikipia Airbase, supplied the bullets to the robbers,” said a police officer.
Another officer familiar with the ongoing investigations said three suspects were arrested at a pub in Umande Shopping Centre in Laikipia East Sub-County where they were having drinks after evading police arrest.
“The suspect had escaped a police dragnet and went into hiding at Umande. However, DCI officers tracked them down and arrested three of them. One of the suspects, who had a government firearm, managed to escape,” said the police source.
He added that through communication with the military officer’s impounded phone, DCI officers persuaded the suspect to return the firearm, which he packed in an ice cream box and gave to his local shopkeeper as a parcel.
Once the gun was identified as the one issued to a police officer seconded to guard the senior county assembly official.
