Kidnapped 'pregnant' woman charged with lying to police

Saida Abderahman, who was allegedly abducted while pregnant, is charged with lying to police at the Mombasa Law Courts, January 8, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Saida Abderahman Baraka was arraigned alongside her husband Mohamed Abdulahman and charged with lying about her pregnancy and miscarriage.
  • In her reports to police, Ms Baraka claimed that the criminals drugged her before the abortion. She said she realised she was no longer pregnant when she regained consciousness.
  • Her husband was also charged with lying to police - about the abduction of his pregnant wife.
  • The couple denied committing the offences on September 20 and 24 last year at the CPGH and Makupa Police Station.

The 20-year-old Mombasa woman, who was allegedly abducted while pregnant in 2018, was on Tuesday charged with giving false information.

Saida Abderahman Baraka was arraigned alongside her husband Mohamed Abdulahman and charged with lying about her pregnancy and the loss of the child.

REPORT

Ms Baraka is accused of lying to Dr Nafsa Mohamed of Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) that she was eight months pregnant at the time and and that she lost her baby in the hands of her abductors.

The charge sheet states that she told the doctor that the criminals performed an abortion after taking her on September 20.

Police said she knew the information was false and that her intention was for Dr Mohamed to file a report in her favour.

Ms Baraka was charged after the medical report from the CPGH indicated that she cannot conceive and that she had a miscarriage in March.

POLICE ACCOUNTS

The woman claimed her abductors waylaid and took her as she went to board a Malindi-bound matatu at Buxton in Mombasa.

She was to connect to Lamu on a midday flight from Malindi International Airport.

In her reports to police, Ms Baraka claimed that the criminals drugged her before the abortion. She said she realised she was no longer pregnant when she regained consciousness.

Ms Baraka told investigators that she later escaped from a dark room in which the kidnappers - six women - had been kept her and ran to safety.

A good Samaritan contacted her family in Nairobi, she said.

Mr Abdulahman was also charged with lying to police - about the abduction of his pregnant wife.

The suspect told Police Constable Cyrus Mbugua that his wife went missing after informing her mother, Hadija Bwana, that she would be taking a flight to Lamu.

Detectives said he know the information he gave was false and that he intended to cause the police officer to activate operations in search of the victim, yet he shouldn't have.

BOND

The couple denied committing the offences on September 20 and 24 last year at the CPGH and Makupa Police Station before Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno.

Through their lawyer Khalid Salim, they requested lenient bond terms, saying they were not flight risk and that they had a permanent place of abode.

“The suspects voluntarily came to court after they were granted Sh10,000 police bond. This demonstrated that they cannot jump bail. They are ready to attend court anytime they are required to,” he said

Mr Khalid further said the charges were minor and that with the primary witnesses being police officers, there was no apprehension about interference by the couple.

The suspects were released on Sh100,000 bond each with one surety of the same amount.

The case will be mentioned on January 24.