Five men caught in the chaos of the Kamogelo Baukudi kidnapping case are preparing to take legal action against the state, claiming they were wrongfully arrested and assaulted by police during the teenager’s dramatic rescue in Wepener on June 27, 2025. Though initially detained as suspects in the abduction of the 19-year-old, all five were later released due to a lack of evidence linking them to the crime.
One of the men, identified as Moshoeshoe, insists he was trying to help Baukudi after finding him disoriented outside his home. He says he offered the teen a phone to contact his parents—only to end up in handcuffs. “We were trying to help, and now we’re seen as criminals,” Moshoeshoe said, adding that the arrest has damaged both his reputation and business.
Legal experts warn that suing the state will be a tough battle. To win, the men must prove that their arrests were not only mistaken but lacked reasonable justification at the time. The state is expected to argue that the detentions were based on credible suspicion during an urgent and high-pressure rescue operation.
Adding a dark twist to the case, a 42-year-old police sergeant, Nzima Adoons, remains behind bars, charged with kidnapping and extortion. Investigators confirmed that Adoons’ official police vehicle was directly linked to Baukudi’s abduction, raising serious concerns about internal corruption within law enforcement.
As the case unfolds, questions remain about who the true perpetrators are—and how deeply police complicity may run. The five wrongfully arrested men now seek justice of their own, determined to clear their names and hold the state accountable for what they call a life-altering injustice.
