Police recover one gun stolen from Mumias, arrests two suspects

Western Police Boss Mosses Ombati addresses press in his office after police officers recovered a firearm that was stolen by unknown thugs in Mumias recently. PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD

KAKAMEGA: Police have recovered one G3 rifle suspected to be one of the seven guns that were stolen from Booker Police Post last week.

At a news conference in Kakamega on Saturday, the Western Regional Police Commander Moses Ombati revealed that police found the gun wrapped in piece of cloth near river Nzoia in Mayoni.

Police counter-checked the serial number of the recovered gun with magazine containing 20 rounds of ammunition.

They determined that indeed the registration number of the rifle was among the seven that went missing with over 180 round of ammunition.

Two people from same family suspected to be in connection of the raid that left one police officer nursing serious injuries at the time of the attack and stole seven guns are in police custody.

One of the suspects, Ombati said, masquerades as boda boda rider operating within Mumias, Shibale and Mayoni. The pair is helping police with crucial information that can lead to the arrest of other suspects and recovery of the remaining six guns.

Ombati said at about 6pm on Friday evening, police received a tip off from members of public that a gun had been hidden near River Nzoia.

Police responded promptly and sat strategically to wait for the 'owners' to appear. Ombati said two people came riding on motorbike but they sensed police were around.

They attempted to escape but police managed to arrest them. Ombati said the suspects were to use the gun to carry out robbery in the area.

"Police responded promptly, went and sat somewhere strategically. At the time they were coming to collect the gun, they realised that police were around. They attempted to escape but we arrested them," said Ombati.

The regional police commander said the guns were stolen by people from within Mumias and did not hide them far away since they have been used thrice on robbery mission in Mayoni and Shibale areas.

He said one incident happened in a local bar in Mayoni where robbers armed with rifles stormed in and ordered everyone to surrender everything they had.

They ransacked everyone and made away with unknown amount of money and several mobile phones. The second incident took place at Jubilee Petrol Station petrol where they cornered the attendant and made away with Sh22, 000.

The third was attempted robbery at a local mobile money transfer shop but Ombati said the thugs feared to raid since many people were around that evening.

"These are government property and we are trying to make sure they recovered to minimise chances of being used against civilians," said Ombati.

He said sometime this week suspected thugs were seen in Kisumu in a vehicle with guns but did not carry out robbery.

Ombati disclosed that police have since received details of the vehicle and they will arrest the owners of the vehicle.

The police boss hailed the public for volunteering information to the police that enabled them to arrest two suspects and recover a gun.

He has appealed to public to feed security agents with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects.

"Honestly police will not manage alone to arrest these people with this guns. We are asking members of the public to help us get back the guns because they are in wrong hands," he said

The two suspects becomes the first to be arrested since the theft of guns happened last Monday and police have hopeful of making more arrests.

It is now more than a week since the guns were stolen from Booker Police Post and police have managed to nab two linked to the raid.

Police are still searching for the guns. Western regional coordinator Mongo Chimwaga has since banned political rallies in Mumias particularly in Shibale to allow police to carry out smooth operations to recover the guns.

He said political rallies will be counterproductive spirited efforts by police to get back the guns. Chimwaga at the same time has asked members of public who were brutalised during the operation by General Service Unit in search of the guns to lodge complaints to Independent Policing and Oversight Authority.

He sounded a warning to anyone who will give false information to IPOA that he or she was assaulted will be arrested and prosecuted.