Two suspects arraigned over the murder of National Lands Commission (NLC) official Jennifer Wambua have confirmed to have met the deceased before her death.
Benjamin Saitoti Patel and David Sempuan Salav have told detectives handling the matter that they met and left Jennifer at the scene where her body was found.
Jennifer’s body was collected from Ngong Forest on Saturday, March 13, 2021. It is was taken to City Mortuary where it was later identified.
The deceased, who was the deputy director of communications at NLC, was last seen on Friday, March 12, 2021, when she was dropped to work by her husband and upon failing to return home, the family raised concerns leading to the search.
The suspects were arrested on Thursday evening and arraigned on Friday, April 9. A Kiambu court allowed police to detain the suspects until April 23 pending completion of investigations.
Read: Police Looking Into Sh2 Million Withdrawn From Late NLC Official Wambua’s Account
Detectives privy to details of the investigations intimated to a local media that the two claim to have found Jennifer lying at the scene on March 12.
They held a brief chat and were soon joined by a third man who they told police they can identify.
The suspects told the police they left Jennifer and the third man between 4-5pm.
According to the two, the deceased looked disturbed. She asked them for water and the third man walked to a nearby shopping centre and brought the water.
“They claim they were on their own business there when they met the woman lying there and talked briefly. They said she seemed disturbed and depressed. They claim they were joined by a man they know from the area and is the one who brought her water that we suspect was spiked,” The Star quotes a detective aware of the probe.
Read Also: Missing NLC Official Jennifer Itumbi’s Body Found At City Mortuary
As the search for the third suspect continues, it’s believed that the man, who bought the water, sexually assaulted Wambua before killing her.
Detectives probing the murder have also been looking into some Sh2 million withdrawn from Jennifer’s account two days before she went missing.
Jennifer had received a sum total of Sh2.7 million meant for the launch of a strategic plan for the commission.
She was supposed to use the money to pay suppliers.
According to the police, however, the suppliers are yet to receive their dues.
Sleuths are also looking into 58 phone calls made to Wambua days and hours before her death.
Read Also: Murdered NLC Official Was Set To Be Cross-examined On Wednesday In Sh122 Million Graft Case
One of the phone calls was from a pastor who according to her husband, Joseph Komu, was praying for her.
Komu was also grilled for two days at DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road. It is not clear what he told detectives.
Police believe the deceased was lured to her death by a person well known to her.
“There is a likelihood she was approached earlier on or face to face and called for a meeting out of office. She may have been told not to carry her mobile phone to the meeting as it would expose her. It is possible she fell into this trap and left her bag in the car and walked to the meeting which turned fatal,” a detective probing the case told a local daily.
An autopsy exam conducted by government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor showed that the deceased was strangled to death with bare hands.
Read Also: NLC Official Jennifer Wambua Was Strangled To Death – Autopsy
“The oesophagus had collapsed showing she was strangled by use of hands,” lawyer Daniel Maanzo said as briefed by the pathologist.
The autopsy further revealed that the body had other bruises on the face and legs with further tests expected to be conducted to ascertain whether she had been sexually assaulted.
Prior to her death, Jennifer was set to testify in a Sh122 million graft case involving Lugari MP Ayub Savula and former Principal Secretary Sammy Itemere. There is no link so far between her death and the case.
Jennifer was laid to rest on March 24 in Machakos.
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