A police officer was shot dead, and eight remandees escaped after gunmen ambushed officers escorting prisoners in Samburu County on Monday, February 10.
Constable Humphrey Oroba and two other officers from Baragoi Police Station were transporting the suspects from Maralal GK Prisons to the station for scheduled court sessions when the attack occurred along the Maralal-Baragoi-South Horr road in the Charda area.
According to police reports, armed assailants, who appeared to have prior knowledge of the officers’ movements, launched a surprise attack, opening fire on the convoy. Oroba was killed instantly, while his colleagues were forced to take cover in nearby bushes. The attackers made away with PC Oroba’s AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
A response team arrived at the scene and found Oroba’s body riddled with bullets. However, the two officers who had been escorting the prisoners were missing along with the eight remandees.
Police launched an immediate search operation and later found the missing officers unharmed, along with their firearms. However, the escaped prisoners remained at large.
Authorities revealed that five of the fugitives were facing defilement charges, one was accused of illegal firearm possession, another was charged with murder and robbery, and the eighth suspect faced assault and grievous harm charges.
By Tuesday, no arrests had been made, and security forces had intensified efforts to track down both the assailants and the escaped suspects. The slain officer’s body was transported to Baragoi Sub-County Hospital Morgue for an autopsy.
Police headquarters confirmed that additional personnel had been deployed to the area.
The attack occurred in an area currently under Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift, an ongoing crackdown aimed at curbing banditry and insecurity in the region.
