Student abducted, locked in a coffin for two weeks

Police in Kitale have rescued a university student who had been kidnapped and locked in a coffin for the past two weeks with his kidnappers demanding for a ransom of Ksh 8 million as a condition for his release.

The abductors of Ivan Jack Otieno, a Moi University Kitale campus student, are suspected of carrying out the act as a way of settling scores with his mother who works at the procurement department in the county government of Trans Nzoia for allegedly refusing to help them secure a tender.

Otieno, a business management diploma first year student, said he was at school when one of the suspects identified as John Mathenge Murithi approached him claiming he had interests in enrolling for the same course and needed assistance.

The abductors communicated with Otieno’s mother and instructed her to either part with the Ksh 8 million or else they would kill him to teach her a lesson for failing to influence a contract they were seeking at the County Government of Trans Nzoia.

Trans Nzoia county police Commandant Lillian Okembo said they rescued the 21 year old student from the abductors at Lessos area of Kitale where his abductors had planned to murder him.

Ms Okembo said that the suspect, who is now in police custody, has another pending case at the Kitale law courts where he is accused of robbing the Kenya Seed Company of Ksh 300, 000 when he was an employee of the firm.