Policeman arrested after head teacher's dramatic abduction

A police officer from Kisumu is among three suspects who have been arrested over a botched attempt to kidnap a school principal in Gem, Siaya County.

The officer, Brian Nyikuli, was nabbed alongside his two accomplices, 32-year-old Samuel Okoth and Janet Adhiambo Anyango, also 32, while allegedly trying to escape after their attempts to abduct Sawagongo High School Principal Samuel Kaunda Ogweno flopped.

The Sunday morning incident saw the suspects detained at Yala Police Station in Gem.

“The trio came to the school compound aboard a saloon car and walked straight to my office where a lady pretended to be looking for vacancies for her children in Forms One and Three,” said Mr Kaunda.

The principal told the woman that there were no vacancies. At this point, she  dropped a brown envelope that she was carrying on the table.

Quick Intervention

Immediately, two men masquerading as officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission stormed the office and told him that he was under arrest for receiving bribes to offer vacancies to students.

“They harassed me for a while, handcuffed me and later took me to their car and sped off,” said Kaunda.

He was, however, rescued by his wife Susan and teachers who raised the alarm, prompting quick intervention by Administration Police officers from the nearby Nyangweso AP camp.

The officers and teachers trailed the saloon car and managed to block it a few kilometres from the school.

Gem OCPD Wambua Mutiso revealed that the suspects, who had other crude weapons in the vehicle, were also found in possession of fake Sh22,000 notes.

“We have already launched investigations into the matter and the suspects will be arraigned in court on Monday,” he said.

Members of the public who helped arrest the suspects called for investigations and swift action against the suspects. They also urged National Police Service Commission Chairman Johnston Kavulundi to follow up on the policeman’s case.

Disciplinary Procedure

Nyanza Regional Police Co-ordinator Willy Lugusa confirmed the officer is from Kisumu and that disciplinary action will be taken against him.

“The police service has a clear disciplinary procedure and this means that the suspected officer will be interdicted,” said Lugusa.

He however said that he had not established whether the suspects were trying to coerce the principal into paying for his freedom after the “arrest” or wanted to rob him after kidnapping him.