On Wednesday, May 8th, four individuals found themselves in handcuffs after their TikTok prank outside the Kilifi Police Station backfired. The suspects who were identified as Shabir Ali Suleiman (27), Samson Biwott Omungata (17), Caleb Gunga Kahindi (18), and Omar Juma Omar (19), landed in hot soup for their failed prank.

It all started when one of the suspects attempted to gain permission from a cleaning staff member to film a video inside the police premises, a request which was promptly denied. They proceeded to stage a mock scenario, with one person faking intoxication while being ‘mugged’ by two others on a bodaboda, all captured on camera by the fourth suspect.

The video, showing a pretend robbery near a Kilifi police station, was posted on TikTok by the account @shabir_shirazy003, which sparked outrage among the police as they claimed it was damaging the station’s image. The police, armed with CCTV footage obtained from the station’s canteen, swiftly tracked down the perpetrators.

Confirming the arrests, Kilifi North Sub-County Police Commander Kenneth Maina revealed that the suspects were identified through the incriminating TikTok video and additional CCTV footage. The bodaboda used in the prank was confiscated as evidence. The suspects were apprehended at their residences in Kilifi, with the oldest among them being 27 years old. However, one suspect remains at large, prompting an ongoing police search.

In a bid to restore the station’s honor and ensure justice is served, police are pursuing charges against the pranksters, including cybercrime offenses.