BY IRENE ONYANGO.

A 19-year-old first year student at a local university who was captured in a viral video assaulting a police officer has been charged with robbery with violence.

Ian Ngige Njoroge was presented before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi and denied the charges of robbery with violence, causing grievous harm and resisting arrest.

The charges against Ngige stated that he robbed Corporal Jacob Ogendo (No. 67839) of a battery of police communication gadget and a Samsung galaxy mobile phone valued at Sh50,000.

The charges further stated that immediately before or after the time of the robbery, he attacjed Ogendo causing him grievous harm.

It is alleged that he committed the offence on June 2, this year at Kamiti Road in Kasarani Sub County jointly with others not before court.

The teen was slapped with additional charge of resisting arrest.

The prosecution opposed his release on bail and pleaded with the court to be granted three days to file an affidavit detailing the reasons for opposing his release.

But defense lawyers led by Duncan Okatch opposed the application. He said the teen had been beaten, molested and assaulted by police officers while in custody.

The lawyer submitted that it was dangerous for him to be detained at the same police station for another three days.

He added that the accused person has been abused by the police and even called a dog.

Vincent Lempaa, one of the defense lawyers further told the court that the accused person is only 19 years old who lives in Nairobi and whose parents cooperated with the prosecution and there should not reason to deny him bail.

Ngige was arrested on Sunday after allegedly assaulting a police officer in which there is a viral video of the same on social media.

He was charges separately with traffic-related offences of carrying excess passengers, failure to obey verbal instruction from a traffic officer and obstruction of other toad users.

The case will be mentioned on June 5 for directions.