A police officer accused of killing Wycliffe Owour, one of the suspects in the Ksh72 million Nairobi West ATM heist in 2019, has been charged with murder.
James Ngige appeared before Milimani High Court Judge Grace Nzioka and denied one count of murder.
He denied that on March 24, 2022, at Kayole junction area in Kayole sub-county, within Nairobi county jointly with others before court murdered Owour.
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Through his lawyer Danstan Omari, the accused had pleaded with the court not to detain him at Kayole police station, where police had taken him, saying that he faced security threats at the cell.
"The accused was attacked at Kayole Police Station due to his position as a public officer, "his lawyer said.
Omari added that the suspect is a former government official and should therefore be held at a detention place that considers such people.
He said that it is crucial for security officers to be treated fairly.
"When a judge or a magistrate is arrested, where can you take them?" Omari posed.
Judge Nzioka ordered Ngige to be taken to Nairobi Remand Prison and the officer in charge to ensure adequate security measures.
"If there will be any security breach against the accused, this court will issue a directive," Nzioka said.
Four police officers
Ngige is charged alongside four other officers attached to Kayole Police Station.
The four, identified as Joseph Ojode Obambo, Charles Karimi, Bashir Ali, and Henry Mutai, are reported to have threatened witnesses at the scene of the incident.
The incident happened when the deceased, alongside two others, reportedly engaged police officers (responding to a distress call) in a shootout in Kayole.
The gang is said to have defied orders to surrender instead, engaging the officers in a fiery shootout that left the suspect dead. His accomplices escaped on a motorbike.
At the time, the deceased was out on bond of Ksh500,000 after he was charged with the bank heist in which he and others posing as police officers in escort duties robbed G4S personnel of the amount in Nairobi West.
The G4S team had collected the cash at around 6 am and transported it to the bank when they were attacked by the thugs who offloaded the money onto a Toyota Noah and fled.
Locals also claimed that the officers had arrived at the scene with him in a Toyota Probox and started dragging him before shooting at him.
