Police nab ‘dangerous’ gangster – VIDEO
Police in Nairobi have made a breakthrough after arresting a suspected notorious robber believed to be the mastermind of a series of robberies in Kiamaiko area.
Emmanuel Njogu Irungu was nabbed by operatives in the area after weeks of a manhunt.
His arrest follows a spate of robberies in the area carried out by knife-wielding gangsters targeting traders on their way to slaughterhouses in the area to purchase goat meat.
Irungu was charged at Makadara law courts with two counts of robbery with violence.
In the first count, is accused of robbing Joyce Wanjiru Kamau of her mobile phone worth Sh13,000 and a cash Sh28,000 on February 28 in the area.
In the second count, he was charged with robbing Fatuma Ali of Sh2,500 and her mobile phone worth Sh12,000 and using violence against her on March 3.
Irungu is accused of committing the offences jointly with others while armed with knives.
His family had reportedly pleaded with the police to ensure he is locked up for at least three years to avoid extrajudicial execution.
He denied all the charges before principal magistrate Jackie Kibosia and claimed police officers who arrested him robbed him of his phone and Sh2000.
But Corporal John Chacha of Huruma police station who is investigating both cases said he was not aware and Irungu never raised such complaints at the station.
Police had recommended a charge of preparation to commit a felony after he was found with a knife at the time of his arrest but the charge was dropped owing to the two serious ones he is facing.
Cpl. Chacha told the court that Irungu has been committing robbery after every three or four days and sought to have him denied bail and bonds.
Kibosia freed him on a Sh500,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount.
The hearing starts on May 19.