Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Three robbers, including two women, were rescued from a mob that cornered them after they abducted a woman before robbing her of Sh113,000 and other personal effects on Kipipiri, Nyandarua, on Tuesday afternoon.

Thirty-three-year-old Zipporah Kanini, Lilian Njeri, 26 and Felix Mutuku, 36, had posed as employees of a solar company and offered a lift to Ann Karogii Waithera, 58, at Kabati bus stage.

They then robbed her of her mobile phone valued at Sh6,600 before pushing her off the moving vehicle, where she sustained injuries on the leg. The robbers then transferred a total of Sh113,000 from her M-pesa account.

Members of the public who witnessed the woman being thrown out of the vehicle blocked the road forcing the robbers to divert to a murram road.

“The occupants abandoned the vehicle and sought refuge at the homestead of Samuel Njuguna in Tigoni village where they were cornered by members of the public who wanted to lynch them,” the local police commander said.

Police were forced to fire in the air to rescue the three robbers. The officers recovered six mobile phones including Waithera’s phone from the trio.

“The robbers had already transferred a total of Sh113,000 from Waithera’s M-pesa account to mobile number 0718167274 registered in the name of Bill Kimutai,” police records indicate.

The suspects sustained injuries and were taken to Manunga Health Centre in stable condition. Police said during the incident one male officer also sustained minor injuries on the face.

Following different criminal activities reported in the last few weeks, police have cautioned members of the public against hitch-hiking, or giving lifts to hitch-hikers.’

In one of the latest incidents, a man and a woman were robbed of over Sh409,000 and other valuables by a dagger-wielding gang that offered them a lift to Mombasa from Mlolongo, Athi River.

According to police, the two were waiting for a Mombasa-bound bus at Mlolongo, when the driver of a private vehicle with three other occupants pulled over and offered the duo a lift.

On reaching Simba Cement area of Athi River, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says, the victims were blindfolded and restrained using ropes, before they were frisked for valuables.