Nairobi Anti-terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) detectives on Tuesday apprehended a fraudster who posed as one of their own, swindling an unsuspecting Ethiopian refugee based in Nairobi over Sh3 million under the pretense that he could assist him in acquiring Kenyan citizenship.
The suspect was identified as Rev. Richard Macharia Njuguna, affiliated with the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) in Juja Farm under the Thika South Diocese of Kiambu County.
He was arrested at the Overstone Hotel in Ruiru area along the Eastern Bypass, following a complaint lodged at the Capitol Hill Police Station in Nairobi.
The case was subsequently transferred to the ATPU for thorough investigation.
Investigations have since revealed that between December 20, 2024, and February 12, 2025, Rev. Njuguna, posing as an Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) officer attached to the Directorate of Immigration Services, cunningly duped the refugee into believing he could facilitate the acquisition of Kenyan citizenship, fraudulently obtaining a total of Sh3,030,500 in the process.
Following his arrest, detectives searched Njuguna’s residence in Kahawa West and his vehicle. The search led to the recovery of incriminating evidence including a variety of documents and wooden stamps allegedly belonging to several institutions, such as the Chief Magistrate in Nairobi, Kenya Immigration Officer at JKIA, Immigration Control in Busia, the Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Somalia, and the Ministry of Lands Head Office, among others.
The police said they are investigating to establish if there are more cases he was involved in.
Cases of fraud involving government documents have been on the rise amid police operations to tame the trend. Officials say dozens of suspects have been arrested in the operations affecting the crime. The cases are pending in various stages of investigations, police say.
Meanwhile, the seized items and his vehicle are being detained as exhibits in the ongoing investigation.
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