Hole in cell wall helps 'dangerous' remandees escape heavily guarded police station in Embu

By  George Munene

Contributor

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• The remandees allegedly dug a hole in the wall of their cell and sneaked out unnoticed.
• The daring escape raised serious questions, as the police station is always heavily guarded.

Four remandees, who have been described as dangerous, have escaped from Itabua Police Station in Embu County.

They include one murder suspect and two robbery with violence suspects.

According to a police report, the remandees allegedly dug a hole in the wall of their cell and sneaked out of the police station unnoticed.

The daring escape raised serious questions, as the police station, which is located within the Eastern Region Police headquarters, is always heavily guarded.

Panic gripped Embu town and its environs as reports of the escape spread.

Traders and residents said the escapees had been involved in breaking into their business premises, stealing their property and threatening their lives.

“These are very dangerous criminals and may start giving us sleepless nights once again if they are not rearrested and taken back to the cell,” one of the traders said.

The prisoners escaped from the cell on Thursday night and fled to an unknown destination.

Officers were conducting routine checks on Friday morning when they discovered that the four remandees were missing from the cell. They raised the alarm, attracting their colleagues, who combed the entire police station and surrounding areas in search of the escapees.

Confirming the escape, Embu County police boss Sarah Koki said the remandees, who are facing charges related to murder, violent robbery and stealing, were being pursued.

“It is true there are suspects who escaped from the cell. One of the suspects is facing a murder charge, two robbery with violence charges, while the fourth one is accused of stealing. We are following the suspects in a bid to rearrest them,” she said.

Koki stressed that escaping from lawful custody was a criminal offence and that charges would be preferred against the escapees once they were apprehended.

Ms Koki said they were determined to ensure that the remandees were found and taken back to the cell.

“We started looking for the prisoners immediately we learnt that they had made good their escape,” she said.

She appealed to members of the public to cooperate with the police and volunteer information that could help officers apprehend the prisoners.

She also reiterated that the police would not rest until the escapees were smoked out of their hideout.

gamunene@gmail.com

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