Two police officers at Kogo Patrol Base in Likuyani Constituency are under fire after being accused of assaulting and killing a boda boda rider for allegedly ferrying illicit brew.
Vitalis Shikuku, the bodaboda rider from Lukusi Village in Sango Location, was riding along the Soy-Kogo road carrying a female pillion passenger.
He was then intercepted by two police officers, also on a motorbike, who demanded to know what the pillion was carrying in a bag she was holding, and she responded that she had chang’aa.
According to Vernocah Nekoye, Vitalis’ nephew, the officers turned against him and kicked him until he lost his consciousness. They then called a private vehicle and took them to the police base and locked them in a police cell.
Vitalis was then taken to Likuyani Sub-county Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Nekoye believes he died at the scene after being kicked unconscious.
But Lugari Sub-county Police Commander Bernard Ngungu disagreed with Nekoye, saying the victim committed suicide in the police cell.
“He was intercepted by police officers along Soy-Kogo Road, where he was found ferrying ten litters of chang’aa. He was arrested together with his passenger and locked up at Kogo police patrol base, where he committed suicide,” Ngungu said, as reported by West FM.
He said the suspect hanged himself using the shoelace of one of the sports shoes he was wearing. He had left one shoe outside after being ordered by a police officer.
“The officers heard some commotion from the male cell, and when they went to check, they found him with the shoelaces tied around his neck. They rescued him and rushed him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival,” the police commander said.
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