Al Shabaab operatives arrested for planning to abduct foreign workers

Two Al Shabaab operatives are expected to be arraigned in court after they were arrested for planning the abduction of a team of foreign nationals working at a sewer line construction site within Mandera Township against the

Twenty-nine-year-old Isaac Abdi Mohamed alias Kharan Abdi Hassan and his local accomplice Yakub Ali were cornered and arrested within Mandera township by a multi-agency security team against the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).

Officers from the Anti-Terrorism unit who were acting on intelligence arrested the Prime suspect Isaac Abdi who had recently sneaked his way into the country from El-ade in Somalia and forged several documents to identify as a Kenyan.

After interrogation and scrutiny by the officers, they discovered that he had paid  Sh100,000 to his local associate, who would assist in the abduction exercise before a third suspect identified as  Noor Yakub Ali aged 29 would facilitate the to-be victims’ movement to El-ade at a Ksh 300,000 fee.

The local accomplice was arrested this morning following an operation by the anti-terrorism officers within the Metameta area within Mandera Township.

The two are in police custody as the police continue with investigations ahead of their arraignment for being members of a terrorist group, which is a serious offense under POTA.

The arrest of the two comes two weeks after President William Ruto promises to pursue the Al Shabaab Militia who abducted five Chiefs who were abducted yesterday in Wargadud Mandera ahead of his visit to the Northern Eastern region.

Ruto spoke in Mandera during his four day’ work visit to the region and said the government has succeeded in downgrading the Al Shabaab activities in the region.

The president said the government will not cede an inch of its part to criminals as he promised to deal with the Al Shabaab Militia promising to eliminate them.

“Every part of Kenya is important and we are not going to cede an inch of our country to criminals and those who want to unleash mayhem on the Kenyan republic. We will go after them and deal with them to ensure they are eliminated,” Ruto stated.

Five chiefs including Hassan Kulmia (Wargadud East location), Mohamed Hache (Chachabole) Adaw Mohamed (Wargadud Town), Ibrahim Gabow (Assistant chief Wargadud East sublocation), and Abdi Suraw (Quramathow) were abducted while enroute Elwak for a planning meeting ahead of the president’s visit.