Police shot and killed three suspected thugs on Wednesday morning in a botched robbery in Parklands area, Nairobi. The gang was driving away on First Avenue near Avenue Hospital, in a Voxy van they had stolen.
Witnesses and police said the shooting happened near Avenue Hospital and a Glock pistol with eight bullets were found on them. Head of Special Crimes Prevention Unit Noah Katumo said the men were planning a robbery when they were confronted.
“Our officers had been trailing them after they stole the car up to the point they planned to stage a robbery. We did not want them to go ahead with their mission,” said Katumo. The incident happened at about 9.30am as many people were reporting to work.
The shooting saw many motorists and pedestrians scamper for their safety. This brings to close to ten, the number of suspects killed in Nairobi in two days. Others were killed in Kayole and Shauri Moyo Tuesday.
Four suspects were Monday night shot dead in Kayole and a stolen car, gun and handcuff recovered from them. The four are said to have robbed a motorist of his car and beat him up in the process before throwing him off a moving car.
The robbery took place in Dandora earlier in the day before the car was traced to Kayole where a shooting ensued. Police say they also recovered two sets of fake number plates from the slain men. According to Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome, the men had robbed the motorist of his car and beat him up in the process.