Security official says 60 seeking to join Shabaab intercepted in Garissa

Militants of al-Shabaab train with weapons on a street in the outskirts of Mogadishu. More than 60 people believed to be headed to Somalia to join Al Shabaab have been arrested in Garissa, northeastern Kenya, in the last 10 months. Photo/REUTERS 

By ABDIMALIK HAJIR
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More than 60 people believed to be headed to Somalia to join Al Shabaab have been arrested in Garissa, northeastern Kenya, in the last ten months.

Garissa County head of investigations Musa Yego has said that those intercepted are believed to be headed there to bolster the criminal activities of the Islamist militant group.

He said recruits, mainly young people aged between 18 and 30 years, are driven by a false allure of better life, prospects of good job opportunities and indoctrination, with a radicalised teaching of a Holy War.

“Some of the youths who we manage to arrest due to our increase security surveillance and patrols show a lot determination to die for a false cause they were made to believe will give them a short cut to paradise.”

Others were heading to Somalia to join the terrorist group after being lied to that they will be offered a well-paying job in Somalia,” he said.

He said those arrested include Kenyans from Nairobi, central and coastal regions, while others were coming from Tanzania and Uganda.

““This week we managed to nab a 23 year old Tanzanian national at Hulugho border town, who used his three-month visa to stay in the country to pass through country heading to Somalia. On further interrogation he claimed to be heading to Somalia to look for a job,” he said.

Mr Yego further said they had also apprehended a Ugandan national at Liboi border point early this week as he was attempting to sneak into the war-ravaged neigbouring country purportedly looking for job offers.

“When we interrogate these people, they are all alleging that there is job there, and we ask ourselves how can you look for a job in country ravaged by over two decades of factional fighting and activities of terrorism? ” he quipped.

ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT

Mr Yego said that there were brokers involved in the illegal recruitment and movement of suspected Al-Shabaab fighters from other parts of the country and the region.

On Saturday, police in Dadaab arrested 21 young men after they were found travelling to Somalia to allegedly join Al Shabaab militants.

The men were intercepted on board a van at the Abdisugow roadblock while carrying assorted foodstuffs and water enough to last more than a week.

Police said the men had left Hagadera refugee camp and were headed for Kolbio area of Somalia when they were intercepted by the police who tipped off by members of the public.

He said they also arrested two people, Mohamed Abdi , 25, and Ahmed Noor Mohamed, 30, with a pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition.


He added that when the suspects were taken to court one of them pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in jail while the other is still in police custody.

“I do sympathise with these people because when we arrest and take them to the court nobody comes to bail them out, even when the courts offer the option of bail. If it is true there is any money, why are those who are promising them money ranging from Sh80,000 to Sh300,000 not coming to their rescue,” he asked.

Yego also took issue with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, saying they were giving criminals claiming to be genuine refugees a blank movement permit, which allow them to move freely in the country, dupe the security patrols and later commit crime or cross the border to join Al-Shabaab.

He urged Muslim leaders to expose those who hide behind religion and pose as rogue sheikhs who are luring youth to go to the lawless Somalia as Al-Qaeda proxies.