‘I Panicked’ – Main Suspect in Boda Boda Assault Incident Explains Fleeing Nairobi

Zachariah Nyaora Obadia, the prime suspect in the recent Boda Boda assault incident involving a female motorist, has opened up on events that led him to flee Nairobi.

Nyaora, who was arrested on Monday after a week-long hunt, was arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday.

The suspect told presiding magistrate R.K. Ondieki that he was not on the run to evade arrest but because he panicked after the incident that sparked fury on social media.

He claims he was terrified after his photo went viral on social media following the Friday, March 4, assault incident.

“Your honour I was carrying a client through the road where the incident happened and after a while, my photo was all over the media, I had to run away,” the suspect told the court.

Also Read: Zachariah Nyaora: Prime Suspect In Forest Road Assault Incident Arrested at Kenya-Tanzania Border

Police said Nyaora was arrested at the Kenya-Tanzania border in Isibania while attempting to sneak to the neighbouring country to evade justice.

He was transported to Nairobi to face robbery with violence and sexual assault charges.

The suspect, however, didn’t take plea after the police requested more time to conclude their investigations.

“I need time to interrogate the suspect, time to request for call data from service providers so that we can trace the movements of the suspect and obtain and retrieve CCTV footages from Barabara Tano for forensic analysis at DCI headquarters imaging and photographic department,” the police said.

Also Read: Zachariah Nyaora Detained for 10 Days in Forest Road Assault Case

The court allowed the police to detain the suspect at the Gigiri police station for 10 more days.

Nyaora is among several Boda Boda operators who were caught on camera assaulting a woman after an accident involving one of their own along Wangari Maathai road, formerly known as Forest Road. The woman has since been identified as a Zimbabwean diplomat.

Kahawa Tungu understands that Nyaora was arrested after police managed to track calls made to his mom in Kisii using cells phones borrowed from strangers.

Using digital forensics, cybercrime experts at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ National Forensic Laboratory had earlier placed the Boda Boda operator at the scene of the crime scientifically, before launching a manhunt for him.

Also Read: 16 Suspects in Boda Boda Assault Saga Detained for 15 Days

At least 16 riders were arrested and arraigned in court last week even as the government announced a crackdown on Boda Boda operators countrywide due to unruly behaviour.

A Nairobi court ordered the suspects be detained for 15 days pending the conclusion of investigations into the incident.

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