Two Nigerians arrested for the murder of Rita Waeni
In a tragic incident, two Nigerians have been arrested in connection with the murder of a student named Rita Waeni. The suspects, identified as William Ovie Opia , were apprehended in the Ndenderu area of Kiambu County on Sunday evening. Their arrest came shortly after the discovery of a woman’s head at Ite Dam in the Kimuga village, which locals reported to the police. It is believed that the head belongs to Waeni, but further forensic analysis is needed for confirmation.
On Monday, Waeni’s family visited the City Mortuary to identify her head, but they were unable to do so. The police confirmed that her head had been found at the dam in Kiambu on January 21, along with her missing mobile phone. However, the rest of her dismembered body was discovered in a dustbin at an apartment on TRM Drive in Kasarani.
Opia, one of the suspects, was found to have an expired passport, while Asbor had no travel documents at the time of his arrest. Asbor claimed to have lost his passport two years ago. The DCI detectives were able to locate the suspects at an apartment in Ndenderu, where they were apprehended. Upon searching their residence, the police recovered several items, including a hatchet, a butcher’s knife, a Kenyan national identity card, six mobile phones, three laptops, and 10 SIM cards from different telecom service providers.
The police are now focused on obtaining call data records for all the recovered SIM cards and mobile phone numbers to determine the suspects’ potential involvement in the murder. Opia claimed that he had purchased the hatchet for self-defense from an online vendor. Additionally, the detectives plan to escort the two suspects to the Government Chemist for the extraction of their blood samples. These samples will be subjected to DNA analysis and compared to the samples collected from the crime scene.
During the court hearing at Makadara Law Courts, Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi granted the police request to detain Opia and Asbor until January 31. The charge against them is murder, as reported by Priscila Maina, the owner of the short-stay rental apartment where Waeni was killed. Priscila and three others were also taken into custody for failing to register the tenant’s information, which could have aided the DCI in tracing the murderer.
The discovery of Waeni’s head wrapped in a sack and covered with a purple blouse has puzzled investigators. The perpetrator also clipped off her fingernails, adding another layer of mystery to the case. Government pathologist Johansen Oduor, who conducted the postmortem examination, suggested that the killer may have attempted to remove evidence by clipping the fingernails. This action could potentially prevent the retrieval of DNA from the victim.
As the investigation continues, the community is grappling with the shocking and tragic loss of Rita Waeni. The police hope that their efforts will lead to justice for her and provide closure for her grieving family.
