Two Nigerians Held Over Rita Waeni Murder
Two individuals from Nigeria believed to be responsible for the murder and dismemberment of a 20-year-old woman in a residence on TRM Drive, Kasarani, and subsequently absconding with her head, were found to be residing in Kenya without legal authorization, as revealed in the investigations conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
William Ovie Opia has an expired passport, and according to the DCI, John Bull Asbor was without any travel documents when apprehended.
Asbor informed the detectives that he misplaced his passport two years prior.
The DCI’s Criminal Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) investigators located the suspects at an apartment in Ndenderu, Kiambu County, and apprehended them on Sunday.
Detective Constable Benjamin Wangila from the Kasarani DCI offices informed a Makadara court on January 22 that the individuals in question resided near the location where Rita Waeni’s head was found.
A hatchet, a butcher’s knife, a Kenyan national identity card (withheld name), six mobile phones, three laptops, 10 SIM cards from various telecom service providers, and additional items were found in the residence where the two individuals were residing.
“The investigation team is seeking to obtain call data records for all the SIM cards and mobile phone numbers recovered from the respondents to ascertain whether they were involved in the murder,” Wangila stated in an affidavit filed in the court.
“The applicant requires adequate time to escort the respondents to the Government Chemist for extraction of their blood samples for DNA analysis and comparison against the samples that were extracted from the scene of the crime.”
He mentioned that the individuals could be at risk of fleeing because they lack a known permanent residence.
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Wangila requested permission to detain the suspects for eight days at the Kasarani police station, and Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi of Makadara Law Courts approved the request.
They will be in custody until January 31.
The sworn statement revealed that Opia purchased a hatchet from an internet seller, asserting to investigators that he acquired it for personal protection.
Wangila stated that he is looking into a murder case under the provisions of section 203, in conjunction with section 204 of the Penal Code. The incident was reported at Kasarani police station with reference number OB34/14/01/2024 by Priscila Maina, who owns the short-stay – the rental apartment where Ms. Waeni was fatally attacked.
While in police custody, Ms. Maina conveyed to the authorities that the caretaker of the apartment informed her about the presence of bloodstains in her Bed and Breakfast (BnB). This information prompted her to investigate, ultimately leading her to a garbage collection area on the ground floor, where she discovered body parts concealed in trash bags.
The head was missing.
Ms. Maina is currently detained for not complying with the legal obligation to record essential information about her tenant. This information could have assisted the DCI in locating the perpetrator.
Yesterday, despite the DCI’s earlier statement that Waeni’s head had been found at a dam in Kiambu on Sunday, January 21, her family was unable to recognize her head at the City Mortuary.
Information from the City Mortuary records revealed that the head, which had been transported there, was identified as belonging to an unidentified adult female.
A mobile phone, which belonged to the deceased and was previously unaccounted for, was found at the location.
The discovery of the head, concealed within a sack and enveloped in a purple blouse, introduced an eerie element to an already macabre setting.
An examination performed on the body last Friday revealed the absence of fingernails.
Two Nigerians Held Over Rita Waeni Murder
