Form 1 Student Murdered By Friends During Funeral Vigil In Siaya

 

A family in Alego/Usonga sub-county is crying for justice after their 17-year-old kin was murdered under unclear circumstances at Ngura village Central Alego location last night.

Ian Lawrence Otieno who was a Form One student at St. Patricks’ Segere Mixed secondary school was reportedly murdered by his friends at a funeral night vigil at around 1.00 am.

According to his mother Josephine Auma Ochol, the deceased had left home to attend the funeral night vigil together with his other peers at around 9.00 pm after taking supper, until around 1.00 am when she got information that he had been murdered.

She says that a group of youths stormed her home in the wee hours of the night while wailing and informed her that Ian who was her third born had been murdered at the funeral which was in the adjacent village.

The mother stated she raised alarm before they rushed to the scene together with other neighbors and established that indeed he had been murdered.

Ian’s cousin with whom they attended the night vigil Joseph Ouma says that they were on their way home when a group of friends who are known to them attacked them and started beating the deceased, forcing them to scamper for safety.

He says however that when they returned a meter from where they were attacked, they found Ian while lying on the ground and tried to lift him up only to discover that he was already dead.

It was at that juncture that the alarm was raised before members of the Nyumba Kumi led by Patrick Owino Ododa mounted a manhunt for the suspects and managed to arrest five of them who are currently locked up at Siaya police station to help with investigations.

Ian’s mother has therefore pleaded for justice to prevail saying that she has lost a child with whom she had high hopes.

Siaya County police commander Mr. Cleti Kimaiyo confirmed the incident, saying that the body of Ian was removed to Siaya County Referral hospital mortuary to await postmortem as investigations continue into the matter.

By  KNA