Drama in court as gang attempts to aid suspect's escape

Police at the Nakuru law courts yesterday shot in the air as a suspect attempted to escape from custody.

Litigants scampered for safety when a gang of about 20 youth attempted to facilitate the escape of Stanley Shikuru, who had been charged with possessing bhang worth Sh200.

This reporter who attempted to take photos of the melee was roughed up by prison warders who confiscated the camera.

He was escorted to the cell at the court house under tight security.

In the cell, the prison guards demanded that he shows them what pictures he had taken with the camera and ordered him to delete them.

But he had not taken any pictures because the camera was snatched from him before he could click once.

According to a witness, pandemonium broke out when the gang moved to block two prison warders from escorting the suspect to holding cells at the court house.

The witness who did not wish to be named, said the gang started shouting at the warders and demanded the release of the accused.

“Two members of the gang, who were surrounding the warders, attacked one of them and in the struggle the warder fell down,” said the witness.

The two were arrested after officers from the nearby central police station and court orderlies responded to the commotion.

Another witness told The Standard there was a confrontation between the prison warders and the gang and in the chaos, the suspect tried to flee.

She said one of the warders blew a whistle that alerted other prison guards and they responded, shooting in the air to disperse the crowd.

Chief Inspector of Nakuru Gk Prisons Kamau Maina said the mob of about 20 people surrounded the warders at the gate of the courts in an attempt to aid Shikuru's escape.