Season of petty and major crimes

It’s that time of the year that needs no introduction; the time when our worldly problems take a backstage and we eat, make merry and appreciate each other.

But as we take this much-needed psychological break from the mind boggling challenges of life, criminals do not rest.

Consequently, it is during Christmas time that petty crimes such as breaking into people’s homes for leftover food are reported.

But even crimes of larger magnitude, including terrorism, have been previously reported on this day in other parts of the world.

On December 25, 2009, a suicide bomber with an explosive device knitted to his underwear dampened the global Christmas mood.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian and Al-Qaeda operative, almost killed 278 passengers aboard a Boeing 777.

The terrorist had flown undetected from Lagos to Amsterdam from where he was to link to Detroit City in the United States.

The explosive device was still tightly hidden in his underwear as he sneaked past the screening checks in Lagos and landed in Amsterdam — where he successfully boarded a US-bound plane.

His seat was for obvious reasons located next to the plane’s fuel tanks and wings.

During the flight, he is said to have gone to the plane’s toilet for 20 minutes but on returning to his seat, covered himself with a blanket claiming he had a stomach upset.

As the plane prepared to land in Detroit, his explosive device failed to detonate as expected.

“There was a pop that sounded like a firecracker then there was some sort of glow,” Syed Jafry, a passenger in the plane told New York Times.

He added: “There was a panic, and the next thing I knew everybody was on him.”

The suspect was later sentenced to life imprisonment without the option of parole despite pleading from his family to the US government.

Closer home, Gitaru village in Kiambu County was an ill-fated arena of peculiar thievery on Christmas Eve of 2004.

Muggers were working overtime — pickpocketing intoxicated patrons staggering back home while entertaining the dull village with a circumcision tune or two.

Other felons were busy drooling in the dark, peeping into deserted homes and breaking in for Christmas loot.

In one of the robberies reported in the village over Christmas, one George Wakaria was accosted by thugs armed with metal bars. They robbed him of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a databank, one pair of shoes, a wall clock and one speaker model all valued at Sh40,000.

In yet another incident reported in the same village on the same day, thieves also separately stole a Great Wall TV and a Panasonic radio – both valued at Sh80,000.

These violent robberies were being reported as early as 8pm, prompting the residents to start patrolling on a day when they should have been resting.

They accosted a suspect identified as Shauri Meshelek in possession of a metal cutter and beat him up until he reportedly took them to his accomplices.

But Meshelek and his co-accused, Simon Paulo, were later acquitted by the High Court after appealing their six-month prison sentence by a magistrate court handling their robbery with violence case.

This Christmas, be alert and report any suspicious individuals or bags and other items discarded in crowded places like markets, shopping malls and matatus.

Do not attempt to open such bags or touch such items as they may be set to self-trigger at the slightest disturbance.

Additionally, as you travel upcountry for the Christmas festivities, it is important that you mind the safety of your houses and other property.

The easiest way to do that is to inform the caretaker or the person charged with the security of the estate that you will be away.

Have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.