A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly faking his own kidnapping and inflicting injuries on himself in a bid to extort Ksh 100,000 from his sister.
In a statement on Friday, December 13, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that Nobert Mulwo was initially “rescued” by detectives after being reported as abducted.
“Nobert Mulwo, 25, was freed from the bounds of a rope fastened on his legs and arms and a bloody bandage covering his mouth — a calculated move designed to pressure his family into quickly sending the ransom,” the DCI stated.
The alleged abduction had been reported at Kajiado Police Station, with claims that Mulwo had been forced into a Toyota Probox by two men posing as Good Samaritans offering him a lift. Acting on this report, the DCI’s Crime Research and Operations unit swiftly tracked him to Mutuku Lodgings in Kitengela, where they found him tied up.
However, investigations soon revealed that the kidnapping was a staged scheme devised by Mulwo and an accomplice, identified only as Ndolo.
The DCI disclosed that Mulwo resorted to this extortion plot after losing his November salary to gambling.
“Upon rescue and brief interrogation, detectives uncovered that the kidnapping was an extortion scheme orchestrated by the ‘victim’ and his accomplice after he lost his entire November salary to betting,” the statement read.
Detectives recovered Ksh 10,100 in cash and the mobile phone Mulwo was using to communicate with his family. Also seized as evidence were a scalpel blade and bandages he used to self-inflict wounds, creating the impression that his “abductors” were dangerous and serious about their demands.
Following the revelation of the staged kidnapping, Mulwo was handed over to the DCI Kajiado office for processing. He is set to face charges in court.
The DCI has urged the public to be cautious and verify such claims before taking action, warning against misuse of law enforcement resources for personal schemes.
