Police gun down five suspected thugs
The bodies of five suspected gangsters, who were shot dead by police officers at Buruburu shopping centre, Nairobi August 24, 2011, are loaded into a police car. The police were acting on a tip off that the thugs had planned to rob a supermarket. PHOEBE OKALL
Police have shot dead five suspected gangsters at the Buruburu Shopping Centre in Nairobi.
Police said the five, who were on a robbery mission, were travelling in a saloon car when officers from the Special Crime Prevention Unit confronted them.
Three pistols, 19 rounds of ammunition and five handcuffs were found in the vehicle.
The shooting happened at around 10 am near the Tuskys supermarket.
Buruburu police commander Hassan Barua said they were aware of a planned robbery since Tuesday night and so his officers were prepared.
“We had been tipped that gangsters had planned to raid a supermarket. The only problem is that we did not know which one they had targeted,” he said.
As early as 7 am, undercover police officers were keeping vigil at the major stores in the shopping centre.
"All areas had been covered. We had been given the registration number of the gangster’s car. The information was accurate."
A team that had been monitoring the highway spotted the car and followed it.
Witnesses said they heard gunshots then saw the vehicle veer off the road before hitting a wall.
When the Nation arrived at the scene, the car was extensively damaged with bullet holes and windows shattered.
The bodies were pulled out of the wreck and bundled in a police Landcruiser and later removed to the city mortuary.
According to Mr Barua, officers had signalled the driver to stop but "instead accelerated while his accomplices opened fire".
He added: “We suspect four of them were listed as most wanted gangsters. We shall take their fingerprints to identify them.”
In a separate incident, Mr Maxwel Owuor, the Chief Executive Officer of JABO East and Central Africa, was shot dead in Lang’ata.
He was shot dead before at 3 am outside the house of a female friend in the estate.
They were returning home in the woman’s Mercedes when gunmen emerged, opened fire and fled.
Lang’ata Police commander David Bunei said the victim had arrived at the house earlier and left his Suzuki car outside.
Police have interviewed several people in connection with the shooting including the woman who is a customs officer at the Kenya Revenue Authority.
Night guards at the estate have also been questioned by detectives.
