By Were Kelly
June 11, 2025
A Nairobi court has ordered the release of four people who were arrested for allegedly possessing weapons and suspicious gadgets, after the prosecution closed the case due to lack of solid evidence.
The suspects were freed on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following a court ruling that ended proceedings and discharged them, pending any future directives from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The Investigating Officer told the court that a key item in the case—a plastic toy pistol—was examined and found to be an imitation. This led to consultations with the ODPP, which advised that the case be closed and the police file forwarded for further review and collection of stronger evidence.
“Since the purpose of the miscellaneous file has been fulfilled, the court will allow the application to close it,” the magistrate ruled. “The suspects are now discharged.”
The four — Gin Amitiotu Abwao, Collins Karan Ireri, Brianah Wakindu, and Jemimah Kogendo Gichoyi — were initially arrested on June 5, 2025, near a Shell petrol station along Kenyatta Avenue. Police say they were inside a red Audi with tinted windows, parked in an area marked as high-risk for criminal activity.
Officers reportedly found seven mobile phones, a toy revolver gun, a CCCP-branded knife, and six rubber bullets during the search.
Police had initially sought to detain the suspects for 14 days to investigate potential links to organized crime and illegal arms trade. The court, however, only granted four additional days of detention to allow police to gather more information.
Now that the file is closed and no conclusive evidence has been presented, the suspects have been released from custody.
