Forest Road assault 'ring leader' gives his side of the story

GEOFFREY MBUTHIA ENTERTAINMENT SUB-EDITOR

17 March 2022

• Zachariah was arrested after being on the run for more than one week.
• The main suspect was arraigned at Milimani Law Courts.

Zachariah Nyaora Obadia, became a marked man last week after the emergence of the viral Forest Road clip that showed a female motorist being s3xually harassed by boda boda riders.

Zachariah emerged as the ring leader of the rowdy boda boda crew. During an appearance at the Milimani Law Courts, Zachariah said he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He told Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki.

“I was riding past the scene [on March 4] while carrying a client. Someone photographed me at the scene during the chaos. A few days later, I was shocked to watch my pictures being aired on television alleging that I was the main suspect in the sexual harassment."

He said that he hid from the cops because he panicked. “I was worried and feared for my life, so I decided to go into hiding.”

But the court wasn't hearing his side of the story saying that formal prosecution hadn't yet started.

“We are not hearing the case now. So, you don’t have to explain yourself. Police are seeking ten days to complete investigations against you. Do you have any objection to that?” posed Ondieki to which Zachariah agreed.

Zachariah had been on the run for almost a week and was arrested in Sirare along the Kenya-Tanzania border.

According to DCI boss George Kinoti, detectives from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau and the Nairobi DCI Regional command, pounced on the suspect as he tried to cross the border to Tanzania through a panya route.

Detectives said he had crossed into Tanzania when they alerted their counterparts. He was brought to the Isebania One Stop Border Post for grilling before the team left for Nairobi.