- Investigations into the murder of University of Nairobi student Jane Atila have revealed that her life may have been cut short over KSh 1,500
- Police say the suspect, Nicholas Mutua Mutia, demanded KSh 2,500 from Jane’s family, but after receiving only part of it, allegedly killed her
- As the family mourns, more victims have come forward accusing Mutua of abduction, torture, and sexual assault within the KEFRI forest in Kikuyu
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
New details have emerged in the shocking murder of University of Nairobi student Jane Atila.
Source: UGC
Reports indicate that she may have been killed after her family failed to send the full ransom demanded by her alleged abductor, Nicholas Mutua Mutia.
According to police and the family, Mutua, who has since been arrested, called Jane’s relatives on the night she disappeared and demanded KSh 2,500 for her release.
Her brother, Patrick Mwangale, managed to send KSh 1,000, promising to send the rest later. But before he could do so, Jane was killed.
Did police dismiss Atila’s brother who reported her missing?
“He said he was holding my sister and would only let her go after receiving the full amount. I tried to report it at Kabete Police Station twice, but the officers dismissed my claims,” Mwangale said.
A few days later, Jane’s mutilated and decomposing body was found inside KEFRI forest in Kikuyu, Kiambu county.
“It’s very painful because Jane was our first daughter. It’s really painful. Right now, I don’t even know if we can still count on the government for help,” he said.
Fingerprint analysis later confirmed it was hers, crushing her family’s hope of finding her alive.
Jane, a second-year student at the University of Nairobi’s Kikuyu campus, had been missing since October 3. Her death has since sparked outrage from human rights activists who accused the police of ignoring initial reports that could have saved her life.
Vocal Africa Director Hussein Khalid accused police of laxity in investigating cases as soon as Kenyans report them.
As the investigation deepens, two more suspects are being held in connection to her murder. Police have also appealed to other victims to come forward after new testimonies linked Mutua to other violent attacks.
Two women have since recorded statements at Kikuyu Police Station, accusing Mutua of abducting and assaulting them within the same forest.
Kikuyu Police Commander Joseph Ndege noted that they were keen on unravelling the motive behind the heinous killing
Source: UGC
More victims speak of their ordeal with Nicholas Mutua
They say he robbed, tortured, and sexually abused them before leaving them for dead.
One of the women, speaking to Citizen TV, said the suspect appeared completely unremorseful.
“He told me, ‘You won’t leave this place. Do you know how many people I’ve killed? How much blood I’ve drunk? Your day is today.’ He only wanted money,” she recalled.
Another survivor said she was forced to give her M-Pesa PIN at knifepoint but was saved by sheer luck.
“That day I didn’t carry the phone with money. He got angry and beat me up, but somehow I managed to escape,” she said.
Police say these accounts are now part of the evidence against Mutua as they build a stronger case. Investigators believe he may have targeted multiple victims using similar tactics.
How Jane Atila went missing
Before her death, Jane’s family in Kabiria Estate, Nairobi, had been searching for her for three weeks.
The 20-year-old education student reportedly left her friends on October 3 to visit her boyfriend nearby. Her phone went off shortly after, and she was never seen again.
The family began receiving strange calls from unknown people demanding money, which they initially dismissed as a scam.
Authorities are working with mobile service providers to trace the suspect’s communication trail and uncover how the kidnapping and murder were planned.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
