Nigerian thugs rape policewoman

By Hudson Gumbihi

The night of July 22 seemed to have been an exciting one for the off-duty Administration Police officer. She was in the company of three West African men, who were hard to miss for their brash manner and flashy sense of fashion.

They ended up at a club on Baricho Road, where expensive drinks flowed and the noise levels rose. What happened in the wee hours of July 23 is like a jigsaw puzzle that the police are still trying to piece together. What is known, however, is that officers from Makadara Police Division were called after the policewoman was found unconscious inside her car near Industrial Area. More shocking revelations were to follow after she was found to have half naked and had been allegedly raped. She was promptly taken to Nairobi Women’s Hospital.

What followed was a hush-hush handling of the investigations and clear attempt at a cover-up, leaving many unanswered questions.

But who were these West African men and what was the policewoman’s link to them? Was the incident related to city-based West African drug cartels on a revenge mission by humiliating a policewoman? Why are the police not forthright about the incident?

A policewoman was reportedly drugged and raped by West African men after a night out at a city club, in an incident that has embarrassed the security agencies. The corporal, who is attached to a senior Administration Police officer based at a key government installation, was partying with a female friend and three West Africans — thought to be Nigerians or Cameroonians.

They were last spotted at a club on Baricho Road, whose staff say the group was in high spirits. But what happened after they left the entertainment venue between the night of July 22 and the wee hours of July 23 remains a mystery as police quietly piece together evidence.

The AP officer was found unconscious inside her car, off Lusaka Road in Industrial Area between 9.30am and 10am on July 23. Multiple police sources told The Nairobian that the woman was semi-naked and was suspected to have been raped. Also found inside the car were receipts from the Baricho Road club, which has in recent years hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

“She told us she had been drinking with the West Africans, but she does not remember what happened after that,” said a senior AP officer, who is familiar with the incident.

Investigators believe the woman was drugged and driven to an isolated spot where she was allegedly raped. The whereabouts of the other Kenyan woman, who is a civilian, are unknown.

Officers from Industrial Police Station, who were called to the scene, identified the officer using documents found on her. They took their colleague to Nairobi Women’s Hospital. The vehicle was towed to the police station.

But she is said to have been reluctant to cooperate, electing to bear her burden in silence.

“She said she did not want the matter to go further, insisting that her personal decision must be respected,” said a source.

Her seniors too have been treating the incident in a hush-hush manner as it is considered embarrassing. The West Africans, who have since gone underground, are the main suspects.

The nature of her relationship with the West Africans also remains unclear. Questions also abound on why the police have remained tight-lipped on the incident.

Police are also pursuing the theory that West African drug cartels might have been out to intentionally humiliate the security forces. The last couple of months have been the worst for the drug lords and their foot soldiers, who have for years operated in Kenya with impunity.

At least 20 suspected drug barons, mostly Nigerians, have been deported after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a crackdown.

On June 10, the President said drug barons were the root cause of widespread social indecency among the youth.

“I have already given a directive that all foreigners who are either suspected or deal with drug trafficking be deported to their own countries to do their business there. They do not need to be here,” he declared.

He blamed rogue law enforcers for turning a blind eye on the illegal activities of some of the foreigners.

Makadara Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Thomas Atuti, who sent a team of officers to the scene, denied that the Corporal was raped. He said she parked the car by the roadside and lost consciousness after an all-night drinking spree with a female friend, who works at a five-star hotel, until 7am. He added that his officers were called to the scene after someone spotted her inside the car. The OCPD also denied the AP officer was in the company of three West Africans.

This contradicts information The Nairobian got from multiple interviews with staff at the Baricho Road club and senior police officers, who hinted at a cover-up.

On why the officer was taken to the Nairobi Women’s Hospital, the OCPD said: “I tell you there was no rape. Yes, she was taken there to be examined but this was not done. How could they examine a person who was totally drunk?” he posed.

The OCPD also denied a cover-up, but gave no explanation on whether or not the incident was recorded.