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Thugs injure bereaved couple before stealing Sh18k meant for coffin


A husband, his wife and a brother of the husband are nursing injuries after an attack by criminals who also stole Sh18, 000 meant for a coffin.

Rufas Thiga says a gang of six raided his house last night a short distance from Ndunyu Njeri Market, Kinangop Constituency, Nyandarua County, shortly after mourners left the compound.

The victim heard some people trying to break the main gate to his homestead and later spotted them walk towards the house.

“I alerted my wife and prepared to get out to see what was happening, but they arrived at the main door and started breaking in. I escaped through a back door but one of them monitoring from outside saw me and alerted the others,” said Mr Thiga.

Two of the criminals attacked him with a panga, while the other two remained in the house to terrorize his wife with crude weapons.

“One of them used a panga to cut me on the head while the other attacked me with a piece of wood. My wife was undergoing similar beatings inside the house. They then forced me into the house and demanded the money contributed towards the burial of my sister. I gave them Sh18 000 meant for the coffin,” said Mr Thiga.

HIDING

His wife, Magaret Wambui says the thugs attacked her as they demanded for money in the bathroom where she was hiding.

Rufus Thiga

“They threatened to kill the entire family. I sustained some injuries on the head, at the back and hands,” said Ms Wangui.

Mr Benson Kigo, a brother of the deceased met the criminals when he left his house on hearing a commotion.

“We have had many cases of livestock theft in the area, I thought they were livestock thieves. They introduced themselves as police officers before hitting me on the head, but I realized they were criminals when they ordered me to lie on the ground,” said Mr Kigo.

He was then forced into the house where he gave them Sh3,000 belonging to his wife, who is a businessman in the local market.

Mr Mwangi Njuguna, the village Nyumba Kumi Initiative Chairman complained of increased crime rate in the area.

“They raid the house during the day when we are working at the farms and on Sundays when we attend church,” said Mr Njuguna.