Three women who were brutally murdered and their bodies dumped at separate locations were laid to rest on Saturday at Lang’ata Cemetery in Nairobi.
This followed an intensified search by detectives for additional suspects in the murders of Waris Dahabo Daud, her daughter Nusayba Abdi Mohammed, and niece Amina Abdirashid, all of whom resided in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
Preliminary investigations reveal the three women were killed due to a dispute over an unpaid ransom demanded by their captors. Evidence suggests they were attacked by individuals known to them after failing to meet the ransom demand and identifying their abductors.
Police have interviewed at least four persons of interest regarding the murders, including a main suspect. A survivor and one of the suspects disclosed that the captors had initially sought a ransom but turned violent once the victims recognized them.
“When they realized the women had identified them, they became brutal and decided to eliminate them,” a police officer said, adding that investigators are closing in on known suspects. A ransom of Sh1 million was reportedly demanded for each victim’s release.
On October 21, Dahabo Daud Said, 38, Amina Abdirashid Dahir, 22, and Nusayba Abdi Mohammed, 13, went missing. Their bodies, bearing stab wounds, were discovered on October 22 at various locations: Nusayba’s body was found in Bahati, Makadara; Amina’s in 6th Avenue Parklands; and Dahabo’s in Khyumbi, Machakos. Dahabo’s hands were reportedly severed.
On October 23, two human hands were recovered along Five-Star Road in South C.
A postmortem conducted on October 25 revealed Dahabo Daud had her neck severed and her hands amputated, indicating torture.
Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor reported that Amina Abdirashid died from a stab wound to the heart, while Nusayba Abdi was smothered, with indications of possible sexual assault. Samples were taken for further analysis.
Police have detained a suspect who allegedly tried to flee. He is suspected of receiving an additional Sh1 million ransom from another woman who survived.
Detectives are also questioning a woman who claims she was abducted with the three victims, alleging they were held together in the same room and that she overheard the captors debating the risk posed by the victims’ ability to identify them.
The woman said her family managed to raise Sh1 million, which was transferred to an Ethiopian bank account, leading to her release.
In their investigation, detectives recovered a motor vehicle believed to have been used in the abduction and murders. The car was abandoned near Wakulima Market, Nairobi.
Its driver was later traced to Ijara, near the Kenya-Somalia border, and is now being pursued. Police are reviewing CCTV footage and payment records from a petrol station where the vehicle was refueled.
