Makadara Law Court on Thursday, February 15 freed two Nigerian nationals who were arrested over the murder of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) student Rita Waeni.
Principal magistrate Agnes Mwangi released the two suspects, William Ovie Opia and Johnbull Asbour and directed them to report to the DCI every Wednesday.
The Magistrate also ordered the police to release the phones of the two Nigerian nationals.
Waeni was found brutally murdered on January 14 at an apartment on TRM Drive, Kasarani.
The 20-year-old’s body was severed and her head was missing. It was found at a Kiambu dam on January 21.
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DCI detectives arrested the two Nigerians on January 21 at an apartment in Ndenderu Kiambu County.
The sleuths recovered a hatchet, butcher knife, six mobile phones, three laptops, a Kenyan national identity card, and 10 SIM cards from different telecom services providers.
On January 31 the court allowed the police to detain the two suspects to collect DNA samples and complete investigations.
Waeni’s family had revealed that her father received a strange message from a person demanding Ksh500,000 before she was killed. The family noted that they were given 24 hours to wire the money to the suspect.
"On Sunday, January 14th, at 5.00 am, her father received a message, delivered from her phone number, demanding a ransom of Ksh500,000 within 24 hours for her release. With this message, the family reported the matter to the police and DCI, and investigations began," the statement shared by the family read in part.
Waeni was buried on February 5 at a private ceremony in Makueni County.
