12 killed as gang fights police, residents

By LINAH BENYAWA

Twelve people were killed Thursday evening in a clash between residents and police on one side, and a gang found taking oaths in a Mitangani forest, Kilifi.

In the fracas that started at 12.30pm and ended at 4pm, a policeman was also stabbed and injured inside the forest where security forces recovered machetes, knives and several flags and documents advocating federalism.

Police arrested three suspects, including a witchdoctor found with oathing paraphernalia.

Security officials were reluctant to blame any group for the violence, with Kaloleni DC Frederick Ayieko only saying, “it was an illegal group from Ganze”.

Coast PPO Aggrey Adoli last evening said “we do not know what group it was but we consider them criminals”.

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Reports from the area showed that the first bout of violence began when residents flushed out some people from the forest. “The villagers considered them to be suspicious strangers. Some of them entered the forest on motorbikes,” said the PPO.

Reports indicate police and villagers stumbled on the oathing ceremony, causing chaos as the gang, numbering about 20, fought back.

According to Adoli, one militant shot a village elder to death and wounded a policeman with a knife. “The militants dispersed but members of the public cornered three and killed them.”

Reports show about seven gang members escaped from the forest on motorcycles, but were waylaid at Tsangatsini and stoned to death.

 Fled to Kaloleni

Earlier Ayieko had told The Standard the militants were suspected to have conducted criminal activities in Ganze before fleeing to Tsangatsini area in Kaloleni.

He added that the first three to be killed were among a group of four thugs who were planning to steal a motorbike at Tsangatsini.

He said police officers have been deployed to comb the forest in search of more bandits believed to be hiding there.

“We recovered swords, machetes and some black clothing... We suspect the thugs could be administering oaths since we also recovered a list of 50 men indicating their contribution,” he added. The flags recovered comprised red, green, white and black colours with yellow stars.