Ciku Muiruri's Daughter Rescued, Kidnappers Arrested After 7-Day Operation

Media personality Ciku Muiruri’s missing daughter, Erica Njeri Gachoka was on Sunday, June 11 rescued by police following a dramatic week-long operation that led to the arrest of her abductors.

Gachoka and her friend, Shanice Agose, 27, were said to have been abducted in Nairobi's Westlands area on Sunday, June 4 as they took a taxi home.

The successful operation culminated in their rescue from a house in Juja Ward, Witeithie area, off Thika Road, where they were discovered, and the two suspects holding them arrested.

The meticulous operation began when the authorities identified one of the suspects in the Ngoigwa area, who was found in possession of Erica's identity card.

Juja area along Thika Road. /PEOPLE DAILY

The lead led the authorities to the Mangu area where the suspects had leased a single room where the women were kept, about 10 kilometres away.

Erica and Shanice appeared emaciated when police and other agencies showed up, revealing the grave nature of the situation.

In the house, the authorities discovered a mattress without a bed, two 20-litre jerrycans, a bucket, a plastic seat, cello tape, a rope, a candle, fake number plates, a hammer and a knife.

The investigation into the incident followed a multi-agency effort which involved teams monitoring the movements and activities of the kidnappers throughout that week.

As the girls were kept in the Mangu area, the kidnappers switched off and on their mobile phones even as they made their ransom demands. During the abduction, the suspects demanded a ransom of Ksh500,000- Ksh250,000 for each of the two victims.

The families of Erica and Shanice were kept up to date on the progress of the investigation and various parties they believed could be of assistance helped in the probe.

However, details on what transpired in the rescue were limited but officials involved promised to reveal a report on the same.

On Tuesday, June 6, police revealed that a message demanding a ransom of Ksh250,000 was sent from Erica's phone to Muiruri, with Directorate of Criminal Investigations' (DCI) Operations Support Unit (OSU) detectives revealing that the message was sent to the missing woman’s maternal uncle.

According to the text, Erica was allegedly abducted by a Somali national, who threatened to disappear with her past the Kenya-Somalia border if the ransom was not sent by the end of the day.

“Please I was kidnapped last 9te (night) by some Somali and I am almost headed to Somalia if 250k is not sent by COB (close of business) tomorrow. Please help,” read part of the message, which was shared with the authorities.

Muiruri, a mother of two and a radio legend, took to Facebook on the night of June 4 to report that her daughter Erica and her friend Shanice were abducted by a taxi driver.