NAIROBI – A 23-year-old medical student at Makindu Medical Training College is in custody at Kayole police station after he staged his own kidnapping to milk money from his parents. This is according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Edwin Kamau ‘disappeared’ last Sunday before he blocked his father and called his mother claiming to have been kidnapped. He told her that his kidnappers wanted a ransom of Sh70,000, to set him free before he hanged up on her.
His distraught parents reported the matter to police officers who immediately launched a manhunt for the kidnappers. However, the calls persisted with Kamau telling his mother that his kidnappers were on the verge of eliminating him.
Determined to secure the life of their son, they sent Sh10,000 on Wednesday via mobile money and an additional Sh40,000 on Thursday.
Immediately Kamau received the initial Sh10,000, he went to a club in Thika to make merry in the company of a female friend he had met.
Photo | DCI-Kenya, twitter
After regaining control of his faculties on Thursday, he called again and his parents sent a further Sh40,000 which he withdrew and secured in his shoes.
By this time, detectives had closed in on him. Upon questioning, Kamau said that he had squandered money meant for his last semester’s school fees and was wondering how he would raise money in order to sit for his exams, hence the fake story.
He further disclosed that he had been ‘kidnapped’ alongside two other students whose parents had paid their ransoms.
Detectives recovered Sh38,600 from the student who is now in custody at Koyole police station pending arraignment.
