Police officers at Archer’s Police Post have arrested a notorious highway robber who has been terrorizing truck drivers at the Isiolo-Garbatula Junction.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect, 36-year-old Ibrahim Hassan, was captured after a dramatic chase that ended in a crash near the police post.
Hassan had posed as a stranded traveller and flagged down a white Mitsubishi lorry, registration number KCC 723S, at the Isiolo-Garbatula junction, pretending to seek a lift to Archer’s town.
The unsuspecting driver, in a gesture of kindness, agreed to give him a ride.
However, upon reaching Archer’s town, Hassan refused to alight as agreed. Instead, he pulled out a knife and threatened the driver, forcing him to continue driving.
Sensing an opportunity, the driver jumped out of the moving lorry and escaped unharmed.
He immediately rushed to Archer’s Post and reported the incident to police officers, who quickly launched a pursuit.
Meanwhile, Hassan, in an attempt to flee, commandeered the lorry toward Isiolo town and took an unfamiliar murram road.
In a twist of fate, his escape route led him straight back to Archer’s Post, where the pursuing officers were closing in on him.
Realizing he was cornered, Hassan panicked and lost control of the vehicle, veering off the main road and crashing into a tree.
Police officers swiftly arrested him at the scene of the crash and upon searching him, found a panga, a knife and a screwdriver, confirming his criminal intentions.
Hassan is currently in police custody, undergoing processing for arraignment. His arrest brings relief to truck drivers who have fallen victim to his highway terror.
