Five chiefs abducted in Mandera by
al-Shabaab gunmen while travelling from Wargadud to Elwak town have been
released.
They were freed from captivity in Jilb, Somalia, on Sunday, April 6, according to officials.
Elders involved in the negotiations confirmed that the chiefs were released on
Sunday afternoon and handed over to Garreh elders in Jilb. Plans are underway
to bring them back to Elwak, Kenya.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba
Murkomen was expected to comment on the release during his Coast region tour.
The abducted chiefs—Mohammed Adawa,
Mohammed Hassan, Mohammed Noor, Assistant Chief Ibrahim Gabow, and Senior Chief
Abdi Suraw—were taken on February 3 in Elwak, a day before President Ruto began
his Northeastern counties tour.
They were expected to be debriefed
and reunited with their families following their release, officials said.
Speaking in Mandera the next day,
Ruto assured the nation that "the five abducted Mandera chiefs will be
brought back home safely.”
Ruto condemned the abductions as a
desperate attempt to cause panic and affirmed that the government would not
allow criminals to destabilize the region.
He emphasized the importance of
securing every inch of Kenya and vowed that security forces would pursue and
eliminate the perpetrators.
He also directed Deputy
Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to lead operations in the region,
including efforts to recover the abducted chiefs.
A month later, Interior Principal
Secretary Raymond Omollo echoed the President's stance, noting ongoing
behind-the-scenes efforts.
“These are chiefs working for the
government, and this shows that no one is immune to insecurity,” Omollo said.
A ransom was reportedly demanded,
though it remains unclear whether or how much was paid. The government relied
on local leaders for negotiations.
Witnesses and police said the chiefs
were blindfolded, and militants commandeered their vehicle, driving toward
Lafey.
The incident occurred 25 kilometers
from the porous Kenya-Somalia border, suggesting the attackers had prior
knowledge of the area and the chiefs' movements.
The chiefs had been en route to
Mandera to attend a presidential event when the ambush happened.
A Special Forces rescue mission was
thwarted by an improvised explosive device planted along the route.
The captives, along with a woman
believed to be a chief's daughter, were taken to Somalia.
The abduction is the latest in a series
of security challenges in the region, which borders Somalia and frequently sees
cross-border incursions by al-Shabaab.
In December last year, a DCI driver
was shot dead by suspected al-Shabaab militants in Lafey, and his vehicle
stolen. The attackers later dumped his body and fled with the car.
The government continues efforts to
combat such threats and stabilize the area.
