Police Retrieve Missing Rifle and Ammunition After Assault on Armed Suspect in Kiambu
The Service called on residents to report on areas of suspicion to the nearest police station with immediate effect, rather than taking the law into their hands.
Firearm and several rounds of ammunition recovered in the Magana area of Thika East Sub-County. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
In Kiambu County, security officers have recovered a stolen rifle with several rounds of ammunition after the altercation in Magana, Thika East Sub-County, where the residents apprehended an armed suspect and beat him up. The recovery has prompted fresh investigations into an earlier case involving a missing police firearm.
In a detailed statement issued on Friday, the National Police Service reported that officers from Munyu Police Station were dispatched to the scene after local administrators alerted them of the mob attack. The officers, upon arrival at the scene, found the injured suspect lying on the ground and secured the area.
Authorities recovered from the scene a G3 assault rifle believed to be in the suspect’s possession, two magazines, 68 rounds of 7.62x51mm live ammunition, several expended blank rounds, a penknife and additional items thought to be linked to criminal activity. The suspect was rushed for medical attention under police escort.
Preliminary investigations by detectives reveal that the recovered firearm was similar in description to a missing police weapon in an earlier incident within Thika East. The rifle and ammunition together with other exhibits were collected and are currently undergoing forensic examination and ballistic tests, with a view to establishing whether they were linked to any recent crimes and violent cases reported in the area.
Detectives are following several leads to connect the dots on how the firearm disappeared in addition to how it ended up in the suspect’s hands. They’re also investigating what transpired right before the mob attack, including whether the suspect had tried threatening or hurting residents in the area.
The National Police Service, in a statement, sternly advised the public against taking the law into their hands, cautioning that mob justice frustrates investigations and puts the lives of innocent people in danger. The Service called on residents to report on areas of suspicion to the nearest police station with immediate effect, rather than taking the law into their hands.
“The National Police Service appeals to members of the public to desist from acts of mob injustice and to channel all suspected criminal reports to law enforcement agencies for lawful intervention,” the statement read. The NPS further reiterated the call for continued collaboration between security agencies and communities, saying the support of the public in tracing stolen firearms and halting the illegal possession of weapons remains paramount. Officials say the recovery of the rifle is a key stride to tighten security in the region to prevent further misuse of state-issued guns as investigations go on.
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