Rogue officer robs businessman of property worth Sh1.2m, threatens to kill him

Robow Hussein Holo and Ibrahim Nurow at the shop belonging to Holo in Garissa Shopping Centre on March 1, 2019. (Kipsang Joseph, Standard)

A rogue police officer attached to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nakuru is on the spot for robbing a businessman of his property worth Sh1.2 million. The officer is also accused of taking Sh500,000 and threatening to kill the man and his lawyer.

The officer allegedly on January 30, 2019 broke into AA Mini Shop belonging to Robow Hussein Holo, 25, at Garissa shopping Centre and without any reason arrested him and carted away his property.

It is while at the police station that Holo was informed that he was to be charged with the offence of stealing.

Holo says he was beaten by the officer who further forced him to sign an inventory of the total good taken from his shop and to his surprise the officer did not list the Sh500,000 and had only half of the property carted away listed in the inventory.

“I received a thorough beating from the officer who further forced me to sign an inventory of goods he took from my shop, to my utter surprise he did not list the Sh500,000 cash he took,” said Holo.

Among the items in the inventory dated January 30, 2019 done at 5PM include 57 suits, children’s clothing, shirts, T-Shirts, 100 pairs of shoes, 57 pairs of khaki trousers among others.

The whereabouts of half of the goods he mentioned is yet to be known as the officer continues to hold the other. He adds that the officer is holding his identity card and keys to his business premise.

Immediately after confiscating the goods, the officer allegedly procured the services of a quack complainant and instructed him to report the matter.

The complainant in the case allegedly reported that he had his goods stolen and had been threatened by an officer using his gun inside court premise.

The Standard Friday established that the officer has also been sending threatening text messages to Mr Ibrahim Nurow, a close friend to Holo.

The officer in the text messages warns Nurow for engaging himself in business with Holo.

Nurow claims he has been the greatest victim of the officer’s actions and threats.

Text messages sent to Nurow shows that he stands to be eliminated from the face of the earth.

Nurow claims he has been operating in fear since last year as the officer demanded money to have him alive.

An M-Pesa transaction seen by The Standard shows Nurow sent the officer Sh29, 800 on December 28, 2018 at 10:30PM. This was after he gave him over Sh70, 000 in cash.

“I have been living in fear, the officer has been sending threatening text messages to me and at some point demanding money,” said Nurow.

Other text messages sent to the man by the officer indicate that he had been asked to settle all his debts and hand over his wife to anyone who will take care of her when he is dead. The officer had informed him that he had reached his age limit and his death was approaching.

“No u have reached the age limit so ur death is approaching that’s why I wish you death,” read one of the texts.

“Lipa madeni and hand over all ur wife’s to the person you wish to satisfy them,” read another text.

Nurow in his reply informs the officer that his life and death is in the hands of Almighty God and not of the officer.

“My life and death is in the hand of Almighty God nt in your hand,” stated Nurow in his reply to the officer.

He reveals that their efforts to report the matter to the police has since been futile as police officers manning the reporting section at Central Police station in Nakuru refused to take down their complaints.

It was only on February 7, 2019 that the officers at report section bowed to pressure and recorded the complaint vide OB Number 57/07/02/2019.

Reports have been made to the DCIO Nakuru and no action has been taken.

Desperately the two have sought the help of their lawyers Kipkoech Ng’etich and Gordon Ogola. They wrote a letter to the Director of Criminal Investigations and the Inspector General of Police seeking to have the matter addressed.

The letter dated February 13, 2019 is copied to the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Interior and Coordination, Nakuru County Director of   Criminal Investigations, the Chairpersons Independent Police  Oversight Authority and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

In the letter the lawyers acting on instructions demand immediate summons to the said officer for questioning.

“Our clients are threatened by a rogue officer who is walking freely and wreaking havoc as he wishes. To date the officer still holds the keys to the shop and walks in and out as he wishes,” read part of the letter.

The lawyers who had issued seven days to have the matter addressed now say they will institute a suit against the officer, the DCI, the Inspector General of Police of Police.

When the junior officer received a copy of the complaint letter which was sent to Inspector General of Police, DCI and CS Fred Matiang'i, he called the lawyer and threatened him.

“The manner in which the DCI is handling the matter is not right. He has not responded to our letter and has always failed to reply to any correspondence done to him. What comes out is that the officer involved is also threatening our lawyers and if care is not taken some will lose our lives,’ said lawyer Ogola.

He said they had decided to move to court if they do not get a response within 48 hours and institute a suit against the officer and his bosses.

Outgoing Nakuru DCI Jeremiah Musyoki declined to comment on the matter.