Eight police officers have been suspended on suspicion of allegedly aiding the escape of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, a suspected serial killer, from police custody. Khalusha, who allegedly confessed to the murders of 42 women, had been detained since July after the discovery of nine mutilated bodies in an abandoned quarry in Nairobi.

The shocking escape occurred on Tuesday morning when officers at the police station discovered that Khalusha, along with 12 Eritrean nationals detained for illegal entry, had disappeared. According to an incident report, the detainees escaped by cutting through a wire mesh roof and scaling a perimeter wall. The escape was reportedly “aided by insiders,” leading to the suspension of the officers on duty at the time.

READ MORE: BRIAN CHIRA’S GRANDMA UNVEILS NEW HOUSE BUILT BY WELL-WISHERS IN HONOR OF LATE GRANDSON

The police force, already under scrutiny for numerous human rights abuses, now faces even more intense investigation. Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority has launched a probe to determine whether officers were involved in the murders or if they facilitated Khalusha’s escape. “We are looking into all possible connections, including whether the police themselves had a hand in the killings,” a spokesperson for the authority stated.

Khalusha’s lawyer, John Maina Ndegwa, has consistently denied his client’s involvement in the murders, alleging that Khalusha was tortured into confessing. “He was in visible distress and terrified when he was made to confess,” Ndegwa told reporters in July.

The case has ignited public outrage, with many questioning how such a large number of murders could go unnoticed by law enforcement and how the suspect could escape so easily. The incident has drawn comparisons to the recent Shakahola forest massacre, where cult leader Paul Mackenzie allegedly encouraged his followers to starve themselves to death, leading to over 400 fatalities.

As the investigation continues, the suspended officers remain under scrutiny, and the public waits for answers regarding both the escape and the broader allegations of police involvement in the killings.