Man alleges assassination plot over land

A shaken Stephen Ndiga Njagi when he spoke to the Standard on Saturday from his hide out for fear of being allegedly assassinated over a family land. [Munene Kamau/Standard]

Police are investigating the circumstances under which a man accused of hiring two men to eliminate a relative so as to inherit his piece of land left the police cells.

The man, accused of masterminding the hit by allegedly paying a deposit of Sh5,000 was, however, betrayed by the hit men who revealed their plans to their target and eventually recorded a statement.

In a strange development, the hit men even agreed to accompany Stephen Ndiga Njagi to the Kianyaga Police Station where they recorded a statement on the matter.

The incident is reflected in the Occurrence Book (OB), number 22/18/06/2018. Police records indicate the suspect was arrested and locked in for a night but later released.

Njagi claims his aunt Betha Gaturi died under unclear circumstances in 2011 followed by his father who was found dead in their house on September 5, 2016.

His father Francis Njagi Ndiga, 68, was found dangling from the roof of the family house and his death certificate No 0736600 dated December 7 last year indicates he died of brain injury caused by hanging.

Njagi, 42, said even after reporting the matter to the police upon which his two informers recorded their statements and was promised the suspect would be arrested and arraigned in court, nothing happened.

“But on getting to the Kianyaga law courts, the suspect was not there and upon asking the police officers, they asked me to go to their offices which I declined since there is nothing to discuss with them,” Njagi told The Sunday Standard.

Njagi said he feared for his life now that the matter had come into the public limelight as the suspect was free even after revealing the shocking details of the elimination plans to police officers.

Speaking from his hideout yesterday, Njagi claimed the genesis of the matter was an acre of family land for which the suspect obtained registration under suspicious circumstances in 2013 and he has filed a civil suit against him.

Contacted, Kirinyaga County Police Commander Leah Kithei confirmed the report was made by the complainant.

She, however, said her officers were unable to take the suspect to court since the complainant had not brought his would be killers to record their statements to enable them to arrest and prosecute the suspect.