Three Nigerians, two Kenyans arrested over drug trafficking claims

The court has allowed police to hold three Nigerians and their Kenyan accomplices for 10 days over claims of drug trafficking.

Nigerians Salako Oluwafeni Samuel, Adeleye Olushola Stephen and Akinyansa Olutayo Kenshinko alongside Kenyans Eve Amondi Ochieng and Maureen Cherono Kogo were arrested last week in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, on suspicion of allegedly dealing in drugs.

Police requested Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Gilbert Shikwe to allow them to hold the suspects to conclude investigations.

In the application investigating officer Boniface Mutisya said that they were investigating the suspects in connection with allegedly trafficking drugs.

Mutisya said some of the officers investigating the accused were from the National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drugs Abuse.

He claimed that a search led to the recovery of drugs that they intended to use as evidence.

"The respondents had declined to grant investigators access into house number 401 at Gatundu Heights along Gatundu road in Kileleshwa in which they were harbouring the seized drugs. It took the investigators almost a full working day to secure a search warrant as four of them were hiding in the house," claimed Mutisya.

In his affidavit, the investigating officer said that the Nigerians are suspected to have entered the country illegally. He said police were investigating to establish whether the foreigners were using fake names. 

Kogo, according to the affidavit, was a tenant at the house where the drugs were allegedly seized, but she does not reside there.

"She usually rents out the said house for AirBnB business and had allowed the first, second and third respondents to use it. Further, the preliminary investigations have revealed that she may also have worked alongside the foreign nationals in the trafficking in the drugs," said Mutisya in his affidavit.

Shikwe ordered that the suspects be brought back in court on June 9 for plea-taking once police complete investigations.