Four suspects behind Thika Road abductions arrested

Four suspects were on Wednesday afternoon arrested in Kahawa Wendani, following a spate of abductions reported in the last one week, targeting travelers along the Thika Superhighway.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the dangerous gangsters were arrested following an operation by Ruiru based crime busters, who accosted the thugs as they lured yet another victim.

“When ordered to surrender by the sleuths who advanced towards their vehicle menacingly at double-bend position, the miscreants hurriedly obliged and leapt off the vehicle, landing on the tarmac head first,” said the DCI.

Josephine Njambi, Nicholas Mungai, Joel Kinyanjui and Edwin Njuguna were arrested in the dramatic incident that brought Wendani Township to a standstill, albeit for a few minutes.

A sharp knife, metal rods and other crude weapons were recovered.

Their arrest followed the recent abduction of three victims along the busy Superhighway, who were robbed of cash and other valuables before being dumped in Kabati, Murang’a County.

” The thugs operating in a hired Toyota Vitz targeted passengers headed to various destinations in Central Kenya, at the Muthaiga Bus Stop and other bus stops along Thika road. Along the journey, the passengers would be robbed at gun point before being dumped at secluded spots in Murang’a County,” added the DCI.

In the latest incident, a lady who was picked at Waki stage in Ruiru on Sunday was threatened with a sharp knife before what she described as an ice-cold metal was placed at the back of her head

. She lost her mobile phone and an unspecified amount of money.

Following the arrest, an identification parade was conducted by DCI Ruiru, and all the four suspects were positively identified by the victims.

They are currently being processed to answer to charges of Robbery with Violence contrary to Section 296 (2) of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the DCI has cautioned car hire agents to be wary of the persons they hire their vehicles to, as they could easily become accessories to such crimes.