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The proverbial forty days of a thief have finally reached for Lavender Akinyi Ogilo, who has been described by police as the country's most dangerous female gangster.
Akinyi is reported to be the gang leader of a criminal group that has been breaking into houses in Nairobi's posh estates of Muthaiga, Lavington, Hurligham and Kileleshwa.
She was arrested at her house in Ruaka estate in Nairobi, ending police's three-year search for her. The 31-year-old, who leads a criminal gang of two women and three men, is being held at Kilimani Police Station.
"She is dangerous and operates with armed gangsters who are still at large," a police statement read.
It is said that Ogilo would arrive at a house, knock at the door, after which her men would force their way in as soon as the victim opens.
Last year, a group of two men and a woman were captured by a CCTV camera breaking into an apartment in Nairobi. The robbers fled with a TV, laptop and jewellery from the house during the daytime robbery.
“Lavender has been terrorising the residents of the posh addresses for the past three years and escaping without arrest. She is dangerous and operates with armed gangsters who are still at large,” said Kilimani DCIO Fatuma Ali.
One of her parents is said to be a Tanzanian, while the other is a Kenyan. Police said she has a hide-out in Sirare, a town located along the Kenya-Tanzania border.
“Lavender ametusumbua sana tangu 2013, anaiba hapa Nairobi hadi Tanzania. Ana bahati sana hajauwawa (Lavender has bothered us for long, she commits crimes in Nairobi and Tanzania. She is lucky to be alive,” said the detective.
“The woman is the mastermind of most of the break-ins in the city,” said Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti.