Kidnappers used a water tank to conceal a victim they abducted as they transported her to a house they had rented in Kayole, Nairobi.
Limited interactions between neighbours in many parts of Nairobi contributed to the confinement of 23-year-old businesswoman Hafsa Mohamed in house in Soweto area.
The abductors’ choice of house, a two-bedroom unit in the sprawling Kayole estate meant little suspicion for their mission, aiding its partial execution before it was cut short.
After the abduction, they left an exercise book at the door with a phone number of one of their accomplices said to be in Thika with instructions to “contact this number”.
It is the number they were using to demand the ransom and hold conversations with the victim’s family on WhatsApp.
Ms Mohamed had been taken into the house in a 270-litre water tank by her abductors – her female friend and two men. The three were seen taking into their house the tank, which had been dropped outside by a black car.
Neighbours only recalled seeing them using the black car when they arrived in the evening with the tank. Kayole Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss John Rioba said police are still looking for the car.
Ms Mohamed was abducted on June 15 before being rescued on June 20. Her abductors were demanding a Sh5 million ransom from her family and had already received a significant amount through a bank account before the rescue.
She would sometimes scream for help but her abductors often left loud music playing in the house to drown out her distress calls.
A neighbour who did not want to be named said she knew there was a couple that had rented the house, but she had not seen them until the evening they brought the tank and a few other items.
“There was nothing out of the ordinary until I heard a woman screaming in the house at around 3am on Sunday morning. I suspected it was a domestic fight but woke up hours later to hear her still screaming. Just as I was thinking about what could be happening, a child told us that there was someone calling for help out of the house.”
A boda boda rider stopped by as neighbours gathered around the house and showed them a video and pictures of the woman that had been aired by TV stations reporting her abduction and police were called in.
According to the residents, Ms Mohamed’s friend and one of her accomplices looked like a couple perfectly in love, they never suspected they were criminals.
“I thought they were a couple being helped by a friend in relocating into the house. They walked in holding hands,” said a water vendor.
Cyrus Ndung’u Njogu is in custody at Buruburu police station and his accomplices, including Ms Mohamed’s female friend, are still being sought.
Ms Mary Wandia of the Buruburu DCI office managed to obtain orders at Makadara law courts to detain Mr Njogu for 10 days. This is after she said she needed time to record statements from Ms Mohamed and witnesses.
Ms Mohamed could not record her statement immediately as she was first taken to a city hospital for a medical check-up. Mr Rioba revealed she had bruises on her hands and face.
Ms Mohamed had been lured by her friend who had presented prospects of a partnership in a watermelon business at the Kayole junction where they met. They left and headed towards her friend’s house not far from the shop. She was then abducted by two men.
The caretaker of the building where Ms Mohamed was confined, only identified as Ngina, said the phone number used by the suspects to call her and withdraw the money they used to pay rent belongs to their victim.
Ms Mohamed’s friend had sought the house on Friday June 11, but she did not pay. On Tuesday June 15, she called the caretaker with Ms Mohamed’s phone number after they kidnapped her and enquired about the availability of the house.
She used the victim’s phone to withdraw cash at a nearby M-Pesa shop, which she and her accomplices then used to pay rent for the house on June 15, shortly before they moved in with the water tank in which Ms Mohamed was confined and a few other items. She also paid for electricity tokens using the victim's phone.
The DCI has frozen the bank account in which Ms Mohamed’s family deposited part of the ransom.
