Police arrest two as Wajir fuel station owners decry attacks by armed robbers

Owners of filling stations in Wajir town have protested over increasing cases of armed robbers in police uniform who have been attacking their businesses at night.

Four such incidents have been reported this year where armed robbers posing as police officers on night patrol have robbed the filling stations. The latest attack happened on Tuesday night this week where four armed robbers raided Shawwal petrol station and stole Sh30,000.

Hashim Salat, a manager at Jebtech petrol station in Wajir town, expressed concern over the unusual robbery incidents targeting the local fuel stations.

"We are witnessing the fourth incident; our petrol station was raided two weeks ago by armed thugs in police uniform who took Sh150,000. All these incidents were occurring between 2 am and 3am," he said.

He called on the local leaders to push security agencies in Wajir to investigate and apprehend the armed thugs in police uniforms.

Situation worrying

Mohamed Ahmed of Normak petrol station, who is also a victim of the robbery, said the situation was worrying.

"We have been enjoying peace in Wajir where businesses operated day and night without fear of robbery. This is unusual and we call upon the county security team to reveal the thugs in uniform," he said.

In the latest incident on Tuesday, the four robbers captured on CCTV camera forced two security guards at the petrol station and the manager to lie down at gunpoint and tied them up.

Hashim Mohamed Abdille, a security guard at Shawwal petrol station, narrated how they mistook the robbers for police officers on night patrol.

"We saw them coming but we thought they were police officers on patrol. They came and asked for the manager and we told them he was away. One of them removed a short gun hidden under his jacket and he forced us to lie down.

"We were shocked by the incident. They tied our hands before walking to the office where the manager on night duty was. They brought him to us and he was also forced to lie down before they tied his hands with a rope," he narrated.

He said two of the thugs took Sh30,000 from the manager's office.

The chairman of the Wajir Chamber of Commerce Abdikadir Kontoma, who condemned the robberies, called for urgent investigations to reveal the identity of the armed robbers using police uniforms for the criminal activities.

Police patrols

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He said they had a meeting with the county security team over the robberies and agreed that police patrols would be enhanced at night.

He also said boda bodas would be banned from operating at night since it was established that the thugs were using motorcycles.

He urged the petrol station owners to train their security guards to be alert and proactive in responding to security threats.

Wajir County Police Commander John Gichohi said two suspects, 49 49-year-old John Mwaura and his accomplice Muia Mutuku, were arrested in connection to the latest robbery.

He said the two were found in possession of a mallet, an administration police jungle uniform and a military jungle jacket among other items used during the robbery.

"The suspects are in custody and they will help us to unravel the robbery incidents targeting the petrol stations," he said.

He said one of the suspects is a boda boda rider in Wajir town.