This archive report was first published on 27 June 2021.
Hafsa Mohamed Lukman, a 23-year-old businesswoman, was missing for five days before she was rescued by police on Sunday, June 20, 2021. In an exclusive interview with The Standard, Hafsa Lukman revealed that it was her friend Hafsa Abdi who lured her to the kidnappers.
According to Hafsa Lukman, Hafsa Abdi, who was arrested on Sunday, June 27, 2021, along with another suspect, Jackson Njogu, was a mastermind in her kidnap and subsequent torture. Hafsa Lukman confirmed that Hafsa Abdi was a friend she had met in California, where they both sold watermelons.
Surveillance camera recordings at Hafsa Lukman's shoe shop showed her entering the store at 4:44pm on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, accompanied by another woman identified as Hafsa Abdulwahab. Hafsa Lukman was seen leaving the store with Hafsa Abdi a few minutes later, after which Hafsa Abdi made eye contact with an unknown man seated on the waiting bench at the shop.
On that fateful day, Hafsa Lukman says she was in her usual place of business at California in Eastleigh when Hafsa Abdi stopped by and asked to be escorted to Kayole, claiming she had a store there selling watermelon. However, when they arrived at the store, Hafsa Lukman found nothing but sawdust scattered all over.
After Hafsa Lukman finished her evening prayers, two gigantic men approached her and started beating her up. They covered her mouth with sawdust, barred her from calling for help, and then covered her eyes, tied her hands and feet, and put her into an empty water tank. The kidnappers transported her to a dingy house in Matopeni, where detectives rescued her.
Hafsa Lukman, who is now recuperating after the ordeal, had loaned Hafsa Abdi over Sh700,000 for her fruits business. She expressed her desire for justice to be served for what they put her through and was happy that the suspects had been arrested.
