A friendly message on TikTok could allegedly have been the beginning of a nightmare. Kenyan detectives say three suspects used an anonymous social-media account to lure women into meetings that allegedly ended in sexual assault and robbery.
Three suspects have been arrested in Ruai, Nairobi, over allegations that they used TikTok to lure women into meetings before allegedly assaulting and robbing them.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, detectives arrested the suspects in the Benedicta area of Ruai following intelligence and a forensic trail linking them to several reported incidents in Buruburu, Embakasi and Ruai.
Investigators allege that the group operated an anonymous TikTok account through which they established contact with women and arranged physical meetings.
The women were allegedly taken to secluded or abandoned locations, where detectives say they were sexually assaulted and robbed of valuables. In some reported cases, victims were allegedly forced to transfer money through M-Pesa, while others lost their mobile phones and other personal belongings.
Detectives reportedly recovered six mobile phones and two hooded jackets during the arrests. Five women who had reported separate incidents at police stations in Buruburu, Embakasi and Ruai are also reported to have identified the suspects.
The arrests have renewed concerns about the risks of meeting people first encountered online, particularly when meetings are arranged in isolated locations.
Police have urged members of the public to meet online acquaintances in safe, public places and to ensure that someone they trust knows where they are.
