Police in Eldoret have arrested a group of 10 youth suspected of harassing members of the business community and the entire public in the Town and its outskirts, demanding money by force.
The County Police Commander (CPC), Benjamin Mwanthi, pointed out that the suspects were arrested following reports from members of the public that there was a group of suspected people armed with pangas and other crude weapons, threatening the lives of the business operators.
He noted that the security officers continue to be vigilant in promoting safety and curbing individuals involved in insecurity cases across the county.
“Yesterday we got a report from the business community, who complained of harassment from a group of youth. We conducted an operation, and we were able to arrest over 10 people who were involved, and they are currently being held for questioning pending arraignment in court,” he said.
He further called on the business people to report any individual who is tormenting or has an intention of extorting money from them to go ahead and report the matter to the nearest police station, county government enforcement, or NGAO.
The CPC additionally warned the public against an emerging trend where scammers posing as agents of overseas employment opportunities lure unsuspecting people, especially graduates seeking employment, but in return end up robbed of their valuables like computers, phones, and others.
He recalled for an incident where a nurse trainee in Eldoret was lured by scammers who obtained her contact information from social media. They convinced her to apply for a job outside the country but withheld her application overnight due to system failure. Later, they stole seven laptops from the trainee and friends.
“We’ve encountered a particular case from a trainee nurse who was contacted by the scammers through Facebook and lured into believing that he could help her apply for nursing jobs abroad. He went ahead and convinced the student to bring the laptop for the application to take place. The suspects continued with their tricks, where they complained the laptop was not meeting the specifications for the application,” he explained.
“They ordered the trainee to bring other laptops, and the trainee ended up bringing 7 laptops of different models. The suspects finally led their client to an unknown place, where they stayed overnight until the next day, when the trainee was freed. We are still investigating the matter to bring the suspects to book,” added Mwanthi.
By Ekuwam Sylvester and Angela Silayo
