Police Arrest Two Nigerians For Alleged Murder in Kenya
By Stephen Abulogbon
Kenyan detectives are currently detaining two Nigerian individuals on suspicion of murdering and dismembering Rita Waeni, a 20-year-old student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, in an apartment.
The shocking discovery of Waeni’s head, concealed in a sack and wrapped in a purple blouse, has deeply impacted the community, leading to an intensified search for the perpetrators, as reported by Kenya’s The Nation Media Group.
William Opia and Johnbull Asbor, the Nigerians who were apprehended, were allegedly residing unlawfully in Kenya. Opia’s passport had expired, and Asbor stated that he had lost his travel documents two years ago.
The detectives found the duo concealed in an apartment in Ndenderu, Kiambu County, near the location where Waeni’s head was eventually discovered. The DCI’s Criminal Research and Intelligence Bureau traced the suspects by following leads and analyzing evidence from the Kasarani crime scene.
Constable Benjamin Wangila of Kasarani DCI offices told a Makadara court that the suspects’ close proximity to the discovery of body parts bolstered the case against them, as per the report.
Recovered from the suspects’ hideout were a hatchet, a butcher’s knife, a Kenyan national ID (belonging to an unknown person), six mobile phones, three laptops, 10 SIM cards, and additional items.
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Constable Benjamin Wangila, in an affidavit to the court, stated that the investigation team aims to acquire call data records for the SIM cards and mobile phone numbers found to determine their potential involvement in the murder.
“Authorities intend to examine call data from confiscated devices to establish the suspects’ link to the murder,’ he said.
Wangila also emphasized in a court affidavit the importance of obtaining blood samples for DNA analysis, comparing them to crime scene samples. Concerns about the suspects being flight risks, given their lack of legal residency and fixed address, prompted Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi of Makadara Law Courts to grant an eight-day detention order at Kasarani police station.
Opia reportedly bought the hatchet online, claiming it was for self-defense, according to the disclosed affidavit.
The investigation into Waeni’s murder continues, as authorities strive to understand the motive and piece together the events surrounding her tragic death.
Meanwhile, on Monday at the City Mortuary, Waeni’s family faced difficulty identifying her head, recovered from a Kiambu dam on Sunday. Despite the DCI confirming the recovery, records suggested it belonged to an unidentified adult female, adding confusion and anguish for the grieving family. Additionally, Waeni’s missing phone was discovered at the crime scene.
