Businessman who misused his gun still holding the firearm
Police are yet to confiscate the firearm of a Nairobi businessman who fired over seven rounds at a club in Parklands following an argument over a woman three weeks ago.
Preliminary investigations have shown that Chris Obure misused his firearm unprovoked but the police were reluctant to take action.
As a result the complainant, Mr Daniel Alex Lwin, has petitioned the Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro to investigate the matter.
Mr Lwin has also written to the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and the Firearm Licensing Board, over the same.
“I am dissatisfied with the manner in which this case was quickly but quietly dispensed with by the Parklands police,” Mr Lwin said in his petition.
“All the necessary evidence was laid bare at Parklands Police Station including spent cartridges and we have lined up several witnesses,” he added.
According to police investigation report, Mr Obure is wanted over assault and misuse of firearm, a matter that was reported at the station under Occurrence Book (OB) entry number 6 of November 2.
FIREARM HOLDERS
It is not clear how the businessman who was taken to the police station was later released.
After complaining, the complainant was giving a letter that read:
“This bearer of this letter is one namely Daniel Alex Lwin and has reported the above quoted case to us. The P3 Form has been filled and is held by us. Please assist the bearer of this note to arrest the same and call us for collection. Note that the suspect is a licensed firearm holder, so you may confiscate the item when traced.”
The Gigiri OCPD Vitalis Otieno, however, said that the two were firearm holders but could not explain why their firearms had not been subjected to ballistic examination.
“We have opened an inquiry file to establish what actually transpired. We have, however, not arrested anyone,” he said.
Investigations show that there is an increase in the misuse of firearms by civilian firearm holders in the country.
The trend, said a senior police officer who sought anonymity, is attributed to failure on the part of the police to take action against the offenders.
