Daring robbers caught redhanded: Stolen cop’s firearm leads to dual arrest
Two people were on the evening of Saturday, February 11, 2023, arrested by police officers after they were found in possession of a firearm that was stolen from a police commander who had been kidnapped.
In a police report seen by Nairobi News, Ms Ruth Waithera Kamau, 29, and Mr Josphat Gathuki Nyoike, 26, were nabbed in Kitale Township Area, Transzoia County.
They are currently held at the Kitale Police Station and are expected to be arraigned alongside Mr Fredrick Shiundu Kinaibei the Sub County Police Commander Narok Central in relation to the loss of the firearm.
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A member of the public told police officers that he suspected the two were not up to any good.
“An operation was mounted at around 2pm under the command of Mr Patrick Lobolia where the two were arrested, one of them managed to escape the police dragnet. They were arrested within Kitale Township area near the show ground,” the police report seen by Nairobi News read in part.
The officers then searched the suspect’s bag, and one Jericho Pistol of Serial number KE KP 44330865 loaded with a magazine of 12 rounds of ammunition, two mobile phones of make Neon Ray and eight sim cards were found.
Mr Kinaibei was arrested after an investigation by his colleagues established that he lost the firearm out of negligence.
The incident happened on Wednesday morning when Mr Kinaibei was rescued hours after he had allegedly been abducted by armed men in Narok County.
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In his statements to the detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the officer said he was attacked by his assailants while gaining entrance into his home.
“I was then bundled into a Toyota Wish, whose registration number is not known, they then drove off towards Mau in Narok County,” he said in his statement.
It is then that the wife made a call to the police station and informed them of the abduction.
When the team of officers and those attached to the DCI wing arrived at the home, their investigations proved the abduction narrative.
The abducted officer was later found dumped by the river in the locality. The police officer later said his firearm, which was loaded with 14 rounds of 9mm, had been stolen.
Narok police commander Kizito Mutoro said they are investigating the incident.
“We are hunting the men who stole the weapon,” he said, adding that Mr Kinaibei was not injured during the abduction.
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