Kenyan police have arrested three people, including a Nigerian national, suspected to have been involved in the murder of a 20-year-old woman at an Airbnb in Roysambu, Nairobi.
The Nigerian man was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JIKIA) on Monday night, January 15, while attempting to depart from the country.
The two other suspects were taken into custody at Kasarani Police Headquarters in connection with the murder.
The suspects are being held for allegedly murdering the young lady on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
The suspects allegedly murdered the woman, dismembered her body, packed the pieces in polythene bags and dumped the bag in the apartment’s dustbin.
The body of the victim was not found in the bag.
Kasarani OCPD Joseph Muriuki explained to the media that they had not informed the family of the recent developments because they were still searching for the head of the deceased.
He explained that detectives traced the Nigerian national through the CCTV footage which showed the suspect receiving the key used to access the apartment in Roysambu.
Muriuki said that police officers traced the Nigerian through his phone contact that he used to book the rental room on Sunday.
The phone records also showed that on the night of the murder, the suspect was traced to Ruaka before the phone was switched off.
Speaking to journalists, a neighbour of one of the arrested suspects said he was called by investigators from DCI to give information regarding the suspect.
The neighbour, identified as George, said he saw the CCTV footage and discovered the suspect could be someone he knows in one of the estates in Syokimau.
George added that he spent the day at the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road, where he recorded a statement.
He described the neighbour as a “calm and collected fellow,” adding that he saw him in custody but didn’t say much as he looked confused.
Interestingly, before the apprehension of any culprits, some Kenyans had commenced a “Deport all Nigerians” campaign, apparently because they believed that a Nigerian had something to do with the gruesome murder.
The hashtag “Deport Nigerians” trended all day on Tuesday in Kenya, spreading to Nigeria after some Nigerian X users got involved in the conversation.
Read the report here.
