Police pursue suspects believed to have conspired with ex-husband of missing cop to ‘murder’ her

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 11 Aug, 2020 11:05 | 3 mins read
Constable Achieng Okal
Missing policewoman, Constable Eunice Achieng Okal. PHOTO | COURTESY
Missing policewoman, Constable Eunice Achieng Okal. PHOTO | COURTESY

Police are closing in on some aspects after investigations into the disappearance of Constable Eunice Achieng' Okal pointed to a possible murder.

Meanwhile, detectives have established that the missing officer’s former husband, John Owuor Odiango, committed suicide on Friday using her clothing.

The police report directly linked Odiango to the disappearance and possible murder of the missing police constable.

“The former husband, John Odiango, is directly linked to the disappearance of Constable Eunice Achieng, the missing police officer, and the investigation is pointing to possible murder of the police officer by him,” the report says.

“Investigation is leading to certain suspects who might have conspired with the former husband. They are being pursued and soon they shall be brought to book,” the report adds.

Sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have also established that Achieng’s phone was switched off on July 30, the same day she was lured by her former husband to Rongo Township in Migori County to collect some Sh250,000 he owed her.

The police noted that Achieng had separated from Odiango after he allegedly refused to refund her the Sh250,000, among other domestic issues.

She married Elly Olima in December 2019, following her separation from Odiango.

“Her former husband, Odiango, lured her that he got the money which led to the meeting in Rongo on 30/7/2020 at around 9.58 am,” the report says.

According to the report, Achieng’s phone was switched off immediately she met the deceased, until the following day at around 2.35 pm when messages were sent from the phone to her house girl asking her to take the children to her parents’ home in Migori county.

“The same phone also sent abusive messages to the missing officer’s elder sister, Janet Akinyi Ogal, and the current husband, Akoko,” the report adds.

Both Akinyi and Olima, police say, tried calling back but the phone was not answered, prompting them to report her disappearance at her workplace at Nyanchwa Police station on August 4.

The following day, Odianga, Achieng’s former husband committed suicide behind their homestead in Ragak village, Rachuonyo South sub-district, Homa Bay county.

“We were hopeful of finding her alive but the chances are dwindling. We are optimists, but we are realists as well,” a senior police officer based at the DCI headquarters said.

The Kitutu Central Sub-County Police Commander Tom Achiya said the missing officer sought permission on July 30 to attend to private matters at home and was expected back at work on August 2.

But she failed to return and could not be reached on phone or traced to her house in Kisii Town.

Her seniors never suspected anything and even thought of reprimanding her when she reported back to work.

“We contemplated taking departmental disciplinary action against her when she failed to report on duty,” Achiya said.

“The missing officer’s relatives came to the station to look for her on August 4 and met relatives of her estranged husband who were also looking for him,” Achiya said.

Odiango, a businessman in Bomet, had travelled to meet the officer but never returned to Bomet.

There were reports that he was seen in Oyugis Town behaving weirdly and the family went to look for him there and at the hospital in vain, only to find his body on Wednesday, August 5.

“It is unfortunate that Odiango, who was key in the investigations, committed suicide. Our missing officer was not armed when she left the station,” the police commander said.

A preliminary investigations report and analysis of the officer’s call data by the DCI detectives had indicated that she might have travelled to various places including Kisii, Matisi in Kitale Town, Rongo and Kilgoris.

“If she is the one who had the phone, it is believed that she travelled to those towns. We are, however, yet to establish that,” an officer privy to the investigations told People Daily on Sunday