Cops rescue boy after alleged kidnapping in Eastleigh

File Image of a Police Car

Police in Nairobi rescued a 16-year-old boy who was allegedly kidnapped by a gang of armed youths and arrested four suspects linked to the incident.

According to police, the teenager was abducted on Friday afternoon while walking along Jam Street in Eastleigh.

The attackers, said to be armed with knives, allegedly assaulted the boy before forcing him into a white Suzuki vehicle and driving him to an unknown location.

Authorities said the kidnappers later contacted the boy’s father and demanded a ransom of Sh500,000 in exchange for his release.

Following a distress call from a resident, officers from Pangani Police Station launched an operation to trace the suspects.

The search led them to Pangani Heights, where the victim was found locked inside a Toyota Ractis parked in a basement.

Police arrested two suspects who were inside the vehicle with the boy and later apprehended two more suspects in a separate Suzuki car.

Officers recovered the victim’s Samsung mobile phone from the second vehicle.

The four suspects were taken into custody and booked at Pangani Police Station.

They are expected to face charges including kidnapping, assault and demanding money by menace.

The two vehicles believed to have been used during the crime were impounded and detained at the police station as investigations continue.

Police said they are pursuing another suspect, identified only as Fahad, who is believed to have driven the vehicle used to ferry the teenager from Eastleigh during the abduction.

The rescued boy was safely recovered during the operation, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Police said they are investigating to establish if the gang had committed similar crimes in the area in the past.