Five men have been arrested in Kilifi county in connection with the abduction and assault of a 16-year-old girl, reportedly as part of a vendetta linked to a land dispute involving her family.
The arrests come after an intensive investigation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which began on June 16, 2024.
The prime suspects, identified as Karisa Kashindo, 42, and Nderi Magure Mwatsuma, 63, are believed to have orchestrated the abduction as a form of retaliation against the girl’s father, with whom they are embroiled in a contentious land dispute. The two men allegedly conspired with a 21-year-old accomplice, Elijah Dadi Robert, to carry out the heinous act.
The victim, a Grade 8 student, was abducted while walking home from her school in Mitangoni. According to police reports, the men intercepted her and took her to an abandoned posho mill, where she was initially held captive.
The abductors then moved the girl to a house in the Shariani area of Makata village under the cover of darkness. There, she was forced to pack some clothes before being taken to the second location on a motorcycle. The victim was held in a secluded Makuti house, while her desperate parents launched a frantic search with the help of local authorities.
The girl was subjected to multiple assaults by several other young men brought in by her captors. The ordeal lasted for several days before she was eventually rescued. Among the additional suspects arrested on June 29, 2024, were Fostine Kalu Tinga, 19, and Kelvin Kiti Sanga, both secondary school students in Form 2 and Form 3, respectively. They are alleged to have participated in the assault.
DCI detectives, led by the Chonyi Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer, conducted a thorough operation at both crime scenes, collecting substantial evidence that not only corroborates the victim’s account but also suggests the involvement of more juveniles in similar abductions. The ongoing investigation is expected to result in further arrests as the authorities work to uncover the full extent of the criminal activities.
The five suspects are currently detained at a police station in Kilifi as the investigation continues. Authorities are calling for anyone with additional information on the case or related incidents to come forward to aid in the swift apprehension of all those involved.
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