- 'Lone Ranger's tough stance on drugs in the region is believed to have cost him his life
- Neither his gun with 60 rounds of ammunition nor his killers have been found
Lamu police are yet to recover a G3 rifle loaded with 60 rounds of ammunition assigned to constable Hesbon Anunda who was murdered more than three weeks ago.
The mutilated body of the officer was found 400 meters deep inside a forest in Lamu East after he disappeared. He had reportedly been on his was to his duty station at Tchundwa police post from Kizingitini police station around 5am.
His tough stance on drugs in the region is believed to have cost him his life. He was nicknamed Lone Ranger for his bravery.
His colleagues have been searching in vain for the missing gun.
Police now suspect the murderers might have tossed the rifle into the Indian Ocean.
Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia has however expressed confidence that the gun wasn’t smuggled to Somalia.
Speaking in Lamu on Thursday, Macharia said the search for the missing gun had been narrowed to all bushes and forests close to where the body of the slain officer was found.
“We haven’t recovered the gun yet nor have we arrested anyone. The officers are combing the areas thoroughly and that’s why it’s taking a bit of time but we know for sure the gun hasn’t been taken to Somalia. It's here and we shall get it. We must get it,” Macharia said.
He appealed to the community to help find the weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.
“We are appealing to the community to produce the gun because we know it’s still among them. We don’t want it to end up in the wrong hands and be used to cause havoc. Whoever has it kindly return that gun,” Macharia said.
Macharia said police following up on strong leads that could result in the arrest of the murderers.
He said they were focusing on people the officer spoke with in his last hours of life.
“We have very concrete leads after recovering his phone logs and we are interested in a few individuals who communicated with the officer hours to his death. We are confident that if all goes well, we shall make arrests very soon,” he said.
One of the suspects, a renowned drug kingpin in Lamu East, is believed to have fled to Mombasa and is being pursued by police.