The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kenyan police

  • Kenyan police fire teargas at protesters after death of blogger in custody

    Kenyan police fire teargas at protesters after death of blogger in custody

    Kenyan Police fired teargas at protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday after the death of a blogger in police custody cast a spotlight on alleged extrajudicial killings by security forces.

    Reuters witness also reported that clashes also broke out in downtown Nairobi as unidentified motorcyclists beat up protesters, dispersing them.

    Local broadcaster NTV showed video of the bikers shouting, “No protests.”

    Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter, in a post on X, referred to the presence of dozens of motorbikes, with two hooded passengers “whipping protesters and members of the public.”

    Reuters could not immediately ascertain who the motorcyclists were.

    Kenya’s police spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on the clashes.

    Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger, was declared dead earlier this month, just two days after he was arrested, with police initially saying he had committed suicide.

    Kenya’s police chief later apologised after an independent autopsy found Ojwang’s wounds pointed to assault as the cause of death.

    President William Ruto said Ojwang had died “at the hands of the police,” which was “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”

    Ojwang was arrested as part of an investigation triggered by a formal complaint by deputy police chief Eliud Lagat, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority watchdog.

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    The demonstrations over Ojwang’s death reflect wider public concerns that nothing has changed one year after more than 60 people were killed during protests initially sparked by proposed tax increases.

    Kenyan broadcaster Citizen TV said demonstrations also erupted in Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa, and showed protesters shouting slogans and holding placards saying “Stop killing us” and “Ruto must stop killing us.”

    Earlier, hundreds of people demonstrated in Nairobi over the blogger’s death, with vehicles set ablaze and police firing teargas at protesters. It was not certain who had set the vehicles on fire.

    Lagat, the deputy police chief, said on Monday he had stepped aside temporarily, pending the completion of an investigation into Ojwang’s death.

    Two senior officers and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) technician, who had been called to dismantle the CCTV at the police station, have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

    (Reuters/NAN) 

  • FG condemns killing of another Nigerian in Kenya

    …calls for investigation into the dastardly act

     

    Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has demanded for full autopsy and investigation from Kenya Government into the killing of a Nigerian, Mr. Bamiyo Ashade.

    Ashade was allegedly killed by the Kenyan police, it was learnt.

    The sad incident happened on Sept. 26, and the deceased was laid to rest, on Monday Oct. 15, at the Langata cemetery, Kenya.

    A statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Media Aide to Dabiri-Erewa stated that the reported killing was contained in the briefing by the Nigerian Ambassador in Kenya, Amb. Sheidu Momoh, who met with Nigerians in Kenya and pleaded with them to remain calm.

    The Ambassador, however assured that the Nigerian High Commission is on top of the situation and had met with the aggrieved Nigerians for four hours with a formal complaint to the Kenyan Foreign Affairs demanding full autopsy.

    The Envoy further noted that contrary to the believe, the late Bamiyo Ashade, also known as Bamo, was not a student in Kenya but a Nigerian living in Kenya and had met with the family of the bereaved to commiserate with them with an assurance that justice will prevail.

    The deceased, Bamiyo Ashade, the second born in a family of three, was brutalised at his house in Four ways estate, kiambu on Monday Oct. 15, while the police officers allegedly tried to extort him despite finding out he had valid papers.

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    However, he stood his ground, as he didn’t commit any crime. The officers then resorted to harassment and assault. Seeing that he was nearing his death, he was quickly rushed to a hospital, where he died.

    Friends and relatives have taken to the social media to condemn the police brutality directed towards Nigerians in the Diaspora and joined in calling for justice for Bamo.

    A family friend to the Ashades in Ibadan, Nigeria, Alhaji Sulaiman Adio lamented that the family had lost two of their three siblings within six months, as Bamiyo’s elder brother died six months ago and thus, joined in the call for justice for the deceased.

    “In view of the foregoing, we appeal to the Kenya Government to conduct thorough investigation into the gruesome killing of this young Nigerian and bring the perpetrator to justice accordingly’’, Dabiri-Erewa said.

    Dabiri-Erewa also condoled with the family of the deceased and prayed unto God to comfort the family in the best way.

    The Presidential aide also said that full investigation has commenced into the circumstances of a Nigerian man who died after he fell from the 8th floor of his apartment due to the fear of being arrested by some officials of the Kenyan law enforcement agency in Nairobi.

  • Kenyan police nab 12 drug barons in Mombasa

    The Kenyan police on Friday said that they had arrested 12 key drug barons during a major security operation conducted in the coastal city of Mombasa.

    Head of Anti Narcotic Police Unit, Hamis Massa, said that four foreigners were among those arrested and a haul of drugs was seized in joint raid by the detectives.

    The four suspects, included three Italians and a Mauritian.

    Sample of heroin and cocaine nabbed during the operation were sent to the Government Chemist for further analysis.

    Massa said that the wanted drug baron identified as Stephen Bosire is among the eight Kenyans arrested in the operation.

    He allegedly supplies large amounts of narcotics from neighboring countries, namely Seychelles and Tanzania.

    “We are holding the 12 suspects who are assisting us in the investigation before they are arraigned in court to face charges of drug trafficking.

    “Our officers are also inspecting some of the drugs seized during the operation,” said Massa.

    The suspects are believed to be local and international drug lords.

    On Feb. 17, Bosire’s accomplice Musa Kibiringe was arrested after he presented himself to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (CID) offices in Mombasa.

    The arrest came days after anti-narcotics detectives nabbed five most wanted drug barons in Mombasa amid a government operation to eliminate them.

    Swaleh Yusuf Ahmed was apprehended alongside his wife Asmah Abdallah, and other accomplices: Rashid Athman, Athman Salim and Farida Omar.

    All the suspects were scheduled to be charged to court on Friday.

    Kenya has lately sustained a crackdown on drug trafficking activities since the January extradition of the notorious Akasha brothers — Baktash and Ibrahim — to the U.S. where they are facing charges alongside Vicky Goswami (Indian) and Hussein Gulam (Pakistani).

    President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed an immediate crackdown on drugs, dealers and their dens at the Coast.

  • Al Shabaab militants kill five police officers in Kenya

    Somalia’s al Shabaab militants killed five police officers in a border region in northeastern Kenya on Monday, a regional official said.

    “We condemn the attack by al Shabaab at Dimu this morning. Five police officers killed and the info about their presence was long shared by the locals,” Reuters quoted Mandera County Governor, Ali Roba, as saying on his Twitter account.

  • Taipei protests Kenya’s deportation of Taiwanese

    Kenyan police have deported dozens of Taiwan nationals to China over charges of telecommunication fraud, in spite of protests from Taipei, officials said on Tuesday.

     

    Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang on Tuesday said after news broke of the first eight Taiwan nationals who were deported on April 8.

     

    “The move was tantamount to kidnapping.

     

    “Kenya does not recognise Taiwan, but does have diplomatic relations with China, Beijing does not recognise the government of Taipei, and pressures other countries not to do so either,’’ Wang said.

     

    The eight deported on Monday were acquitted in a Kenyan court, before Kenyan police allowed Chinese public security officers to force them onto a China Southern Airlines.

     

    Wang added that they were deported in spite of an injunction by the Kenyan High Court and protests by Taipei diplomats in South Africa.

     

    Taiwan’s Justice Ministry said, citing Beijing officials that they were now detained in Beijing on further suspicion on telecommunications fraud.

     

    The Director-General of West Asian and African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Chen Chun-hsien said another 37 Taiwan nationals were deported this week.

     

    It was not clear what stage their cases were at in the Kenyan courts.

     

    “Our citizens have not been convicted of any crimes and, if suspected of offences, should be returned to Taiwan for handling by our judicial system,’’ he said.

     

    If this action becomes a precedent, it may create a domino effect that could be extended to abduct Taiwan citizens to China for alleged violations of China`s political as well as criminal laws.

     

    DPP Secretary-General Wu Jau-shieh called Beijing’s actions a grave violation of human rights that would only worsen the impression of China in Taiwan