Police reservist arrested in Lamu over missing gun
According to the Ipoa report on the Mpeketoni attacks, some police officers felt their G3 rifles were slow and cumbersome. FILE PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA |
A National Police Reservist (NPR) whose rifle was stolen after his house was broken into last Friday, has been arrested.
Bernard Ng’ang’a,50, a resident of Bakanja area in Mpeketoni in Lamu West has been serving as NPR for more than ten years.
His house was broken into by unknown people, who stole the gun and other household items before fleeing to an unknown place.
Confirming the arrest on Sunday, Mpeketoni OCPD Harrison Njuguna said the man is being held for further interrogation as the rifle is being sought.
He appealed to members of the public to share information that will assist in the recovery of the firearm.
“The NPR alleges that the rifle was stolen during a burglary incident in his house. He is in our custody as we search for the firearm. The gun could be in the hands of dangerous people. That’s why we are appealing to the public with information to come forward and help us trace the firearm,” said Mr. Njuguna.
The incident comes at a time when NPR officers, especially those in Pandanguo, Kaisari, Poromoko, Nyatha, Jima, Bar’goni and Basuba areas in Lamu, which have previously witnessed incidents of Al-Shabaab attacks and killings, have severally come out demanding for sophisticated guns to enable them to defend themselves and the public from the Al-Shabaab insurgents.
The NPRs have also claimed that the government has left them to use outdated rifles, which cannot be used to combat attacks from criminals, especially the Al-Shabaab militants, once they strike their villages.
They argued that despite them being the first responders during times of attacks, it was ironic that the government had not made any steps to modernise their weapons, and also recognize the NPR officers, including providing them with monthly stipends.
This is not the first time that a gun has been stolen from NPRs in Lamu.
In July 2014, gunmen raided Pandanguo village in Lamu County, torched houses, school and robbed NPR officers of six guns.
The incident created fear among the NPRs, some of whom began surrendering their guns to the police to avoid being targeted, robbed of their guns, harmed, or killed by the terrorists.
In 2015, over 60 NPR in Lamu East County quit their jobs and returned their guns, citing poor working conditions and lack of pay.
