Police in Bondo, Siaya County, arrested a 43-year-old man suspected of being part of a gang targeting boda boda riders in the area.
The arrest followed investigations into the murder of a 42-year-old boda boda rider whose body was abandoned behind St David Junior School in Bondo after he was allegedly attacked by two unknown suspects riding on a motorcycle.
Police said their investigations were intensified after receiving information about a suspected Probox vehicle and its occupants, who were allegedly involved in robbery incidents targeting motorcycle riders.
In a separate incident, boda boda rider was ferrying a passenger to a funeral in Goma Village, Utonga Sub-Location, when a Probox allegedly forced them off their lane.
The two fell off balance, after which three men reportedly emerged from the back of the vehicle armed with pangas and attempted to rob them of their motorcycle.
One of the attackers allegedly struck the motorcycle’s front tyre with a panga, severing it and forcing the rider and passenger to abandon the bike and flee while screaming for help.
The rider managed to capture images of the suspected vehicle using his phone after an approaching vehicle illuminated the roadside.
The matter was reported at Usenge Police Station.
On October 3, at around 11am, one of the victims spotted the suspected vehicle and alerted police.
A joint team from Bondo Police Station, Usenge Police Station and DCI Bondo traced the vehicle to a home in Goma Village.
The suspect allegedly fled by jumping over a fence when he saw police officers approaching. A subsequent pursuit was unsuccessful after he escaped into thick vegetation.
Police searched the homestead in the presence of family members and recovered several items believed to be potential exhibits, including a Probox vehicle, a pair of police-style jungle boots in APS colours, a smoke jacket, a dark blue raincoat, a jungle cap, a dark blue sweater resembling a police uniform, a jungle overcoat, a large torch and assorted crude weapons, including pangas and rungus.
Other items were also recovered and recorded in a signed inventory.
Police said the suspect later presented himself at Bondo Police Station to report an alleged assault. Officers identified him as the man they had been searching for and placed him in custody.
Investigations are continuing to establish whether the suspect and the recovered vehicle are linked to the murder of the boda boda rider and other reported robbery incidents.
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