A Kibera magistrate’s court in Kenya has granted detectives an additional 14 days to continue detaining five Nigerian nationals suspected of killing a middle-aged businessman, Charles Otieno.
The suspects are accused of pushing Otieno from the seventh floor of a building where they were staying, leading to his death.
The five individuals, identified as Ibrahim Adegbiyega Ojora, Taheed Anu Bankale, Onoshagware Daniel Oghenewede, Badmas Rilman Olankewaji, and Ibrahim Bankole Imole, were initially detained following a miscellaneous application filed by police constable Luke Ndirangu from the office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Ndirangu had requested 21 days for the investigation, but the court granted an additional 14 days to complete the inquiries. The detective informed the court that he was investigating a murder case, and the respondents had known the deceased for a long time.
The deceased, Otieno, had reportedly been picking up carpets from the respondents’ house to wash.
The court heard that the respondents’ apartment was the scene of the alleged crime, and the caretaker reported that Otieno fell from the seventh floor and died on the spot.
The detectives requested more time to complete investigations, conduct a mental assessment of the respondents at Mathare Hospital, record statements from witnesses, and perform a postmortem.
The respondents, through their advocate Eric Anyega, argued that 21 days were excessive for their detention, emphasizing that there were no logistical challenges for investigators since the purported crime occurred in Nairobi.
Anyega urged the court to reduce the detention period, emphasizing the willingness of the respondents to cooperate in the investigation, asserting their innocence in the murder case.
The magistrate ultimately directed the detention of the suspects for an additional 14 days to allow for further investigations.
