Investigations into the circumstances that led to the disappearance of a Nyeri cleric are at an advanced stage, detectives have confirmed.
According to the County Police Commander, David Too, police have already collected statements from the victim, Bishop John Njomo and his immediate family to help them piece together information that may reveal the motive behind his disappearance and eventually lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
“Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have already recorded statements with the Bishop, who is recuperating at the County Referral hospital as well as his wife and his son regarding the matter. From the preliminary findings, it appears the bishop was drugged by his assailants,” said Too.
The 48-year-old cleric who is the founder of Jesus Christ Living Oasis Ministry in Chania, Nyeri town, went missing on January 19.
In an interview with the press, his son Godfrey Gachiri said that his father, who also works as a boda boda rider, left home at 5.10am that morning to drop off one of his regular customers at work.
He was to return home later that morning to pick up his phone, which had run out of charge and drop off his daughter at school. But he failed to show up that evening, sparking fear among his family.
“When he failed to return home that evening, we decided to start our search at the parking lots where he usually leaves his motorbike for the night. The guard informed us that he had picked up his motorbike that morning and even paid the parking fees, as was the arrangement,” he said.
His wife, Jane Muthoni, said that they got more worried when, two days after Njomo’s mysterious disappearance, their daughter found blood-stained clothes outside their house and his motorbike parked next to them.
“She was on her way to school when she discovered the t-shirt and jacket that my husband was wearing the day he disappeared.
They had been dumped outside our gate. She carried the clothes into the house, calling out my name, terrified, saying her father’s clothes were covered in blood,” said Muthoni.
The discovery of the clothes sparked protests in Chania, with the residents demanding speedy investigations into the incident by police.
The cleric was found unconscious in Kieni on January 24. Police say that there were no visible injuries on his body save for marks on his wrists indicating that he was bound using a rope.
In his statement, Njomo narrated how he was accosted by men while on his way home to pick up his mobile phone. The detectives told KNA that Njomo believes he was drugged by his assailants.
“He says they hit him on the head and then covered his nose with a cloth and that is when he lost consciousness.
Sadly, he does not recall anything else that transpired during the five days. We are, however, following up to see if he will recall anything else with time that will help us to get to the bottom of the matter,” said Too, adding that the criminals will not be allowed to walk free.
By Wangari Mwangi
