Police arrest robbery suspects in Nyeri slum, recover pistol

The pistol which was among items recovered from a gang in Nyeri's Majengo slums on May 30, 2019. Police arrested for suspects and recovered stolen items. PHOTO | NICHOLAS KOMU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The suspects are believed to be part of a gang that has been terrorising residents of Nyeri suburbs.
  • The pistols was discovered accidentally by a female companion who had visited him.
  • The recovered weapon, according to the police, has been linked to a series of robberies in Nyeri.

Police have arrested four robbery suspects and recovered a pistol loaded with one bullet at Majengo slums in Nyeri Town.

Two other suspects are said to have escaped as police recovered an assortment of stolen household items.

The suspects are believed to be part of a burglary gang that has been terrorising residents of Nyeri suburbs in the past weeks.

According to police, the Tokarev pistol that was recovered was hidden inside the house of one of the gang members and was discovered accidentally by a female companion who had visited him.

ATTACKED

She is said to have spotted the gun hidden in a suitcase and tried to run away when the gang members attacked her fearing she would sell them out.

“Locals raised the alarm when they saw the men attacking the woman. Undercover police who were on patrol in the slums responded and managed to restrain four suspects,” Nyeri County Police Commander Adiel Nyange said.

The woman, who was injured by the suspects, was taken to hospital for treatment of the injuries inflicted on her by the gang.

Mr Nyange said that the gang members were recently released from Nyeri Medium Prison, King’ong’o and re-joined the world of crime.

“They were recently released and now are turning Majengo slums into a hideout,” Mr Nyange said.

ROBBERIES

The recovered weapon, according to the police, has been linked to a series of robberies that have been reported in recent weeks around Nyeri.

Police have now warned the lawbreakers, saying they will clean Majengo slums that have a history of providing homage to some of the country’s most wanted criminals.

“I want to put these criminals on notice. They may have not known who is in charge but the commander is back. And this time we are bad,” Mr Nyange said.

The police boss was recently transferred to Nyeri from Kiambu County. He previously served as the Nyeri Central Divisional Police Commander.

Nyeri residents who recently reported being robbed have been asked to report to the Nyeri Central Police Station to identify their stolen property from among the recovered items.