Former AP officer, eight others arrested over kidnapped twins

The 15-year-old twins who were abducted 11 days ago in Parklands, Nairobi were rescued safely on Monday night in Matasia, on the outskirts of the city.

Police said nine suspects were arrested including a former Administration Police officer, Joash Opiyo Jagero, who was interdicted following the Sh80 million G4S heist in 2010.

(Read: Four more charged over Sh80m bank heist)

During the kidnapping, the former AP officer is said to have been in police uniform.

The gang had kidnapped the two children, both students at Ruiru’s Peponi School, and demanded a ransom of Sh86 million from the family.

The victims’ father is a hotelier. The family operates 11 hotels around East Africa, nine of which are in Kenya.

Head of Police's Flying Squad unit Munga Nyale said the suspects would appear in court Tuesday.

The captors were arrested at around 11 pm in Rongai, at the house of their ring leader Steve Oduko.

ESCORTED FRAUDSTERS

The former AP officer was in 2010 accused of escorting the fraudsters who posed as G4S staff and stole Sh80 million from Co-operative Bank.

Mr Jagero admitted giving out his official uniform and firearm to a colleague, but denied involvement in the actual robbery.

He was later charged alongside Cyrus Murigi Kihoro, an ATM manager, Mr Zakaria Wanyama, a Reconciliation manager, Mr Philip Nashon Aroko, a taxi operator and Mr Samuel Mulla Omullo.

The abduction of the twins comes only a month after the police in Nairobi released a report that the county has up to 14 organised criminal gangs involved in kidnappings.

Most of these gangs operate in informal settlements where policing is poor, according to the report done by The National Crime Research Centre.

On Monday, four other suspects were arraigned in court to answer charges of kidnapping.

The four –Albert Indumba Jirongo, Simeon Mokamba Nyambane, Bernard Waiti Gakuu and Peter Njoroge Ngugi –appeared before Nairobi acting Senior Principal Magistrate (SPM) Ellena Nderitu.