Police begin probe into death of Nigerian man, his Kenyan lover

The burned bodies of Rachael Kanini, 31, and her Nigerian fiancé Olujobi Gbenga, 36, were found dumped along Jonah road. [Courtesy]

Police in Kasarani are investigating the mystery surrounding the murder of a Nigerian man and his Kenyan girlfriend whose lifeless bodies were discovered dumped in Ruai estate last Monday, June 26, 2023.

Prior to the discovery of the bodies, the couple had been reported missing at the Kasarani police station.

The burned bodies of Rachael Kanini, 31, and her Nigerian fiancé Olujobi Gbenga, 36, were found dumped along Jonah road, a murram road that leads to the home of the woman.

Photographs of the scene where the two bodies were found show that the lovebirds, even in their final moments, held on to each other as the flames consumed them to death.

Police also found a partly burnt motor vehicle tire, giving an indication that the two could have been killed before their bodies were set ablaze.  

According to Ruai police, Kanini’s body had visible stab wounds in the chest and stomach.

Gbenga, on the other hand, had visible injuries on his neck and hands, giving a clue to the investigators that the duo could have been tortured before they were killed. On the night of June 26, a relative to Kanini reported to Kasarani police under OB 2/26/06/2023 that Kanini and the lover had been abducted from their home in Thome estate in Nairobi.

The two are said to have been pulled out of their vehicle as they drove home at around 11pm. This is the last time that the lovebirds are believed to have been seen alive.

Their vehicle was later found abandoned in Thome estate about a kilometre from their home the following day, when the bodies were also collected in Ruai.

And since there were no identification documents on them, Ruai police took the bodies to City mortuary and booked them as unknown.

At the scene where the bodies were found, analysis by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that the two could have been killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped in the area.

Residents who spoke to The Standard said they were in shock when they woke up on Monday morning to find the naked bodies of a man and a woman.

According to the residents, the scene at first appeared like a case of lynching by a mob. However, none of the neighbours had heard any commotion on that night.

“We were shocked to find the bodies. We had no incident in the estate on that night,” said John Kamau, a nyumba kumi official.

At Kasarani police station, the DCI investigators are following crucial leads that might unmask the killers of the duo.

First is the theory that Kanini, who was preparing to wed Gbenga, was three months pregnant at the time she met her death.

While it remains unclear who was responsible for this pregnancy, police are probing the possibility that the unborn baby could have been the reason for the murder of the two.

Another theory that the investigators are looking into the if the twin murders could have been a result of a love triangle.

A check on the social media platforms of Kanini reveals the bubbly nature of the woman. From the photos on her social media timelines, Kanini loved a good life with frequent visits to high-end hotels.

She posted her good times together with her fiancé on different dates. For now, what remains is the beautiful photos of the lovers in their happy days even as the police dig for clues on who may have wanted the two dead.

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