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The Al-Shabaab militant group Friday, February 7, 2025 made a ransom demand of KSh 7 million for the release of five chiefs abducted on February 3, 2025 from Northern Kenya. The demand surfaced after elders pursuing their release successfully traced their whereabouts.
The five administrators were ambushed and kidnapped while traveling from Wargadud to Elwak, somewhere between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki. Mandera South Police Commander Julius Njeru confirmed the abduction, revealing that the victims were on official duty when they fell into the militants’ hands. This incident has sparked concerns over the security situation in the region, where similar attacks have been reported in recent months.
In response, locals have mobilized efforts to secure the release of the captives. Community-led fundraisers are underway both in Mandera and Nairobi to collect the ransom money, though many argue that such actions only embolden terrorists to continue their kidnappings. Officials also disclosed that another fundraising drive is ongoing to secure the release of a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier from Wajir, who has been held captive in Jilib, Somalia, since January 2016. His family and supporters launched the initiative after a video surfaced online showing him pleading for assistance from the Kenyan government.
This latest abduction follows a deadly attack on December 9, 2024, when suspected Al-Shabaab operatives ambushed a security officer attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Lafey, Mandera County. The officer was killed, his body later discovered near the attack site, while another individual who was inside a seized police vehicle was found injured in nearby bushes.
Security experts warn that these incidents point to an alarming trend of cross-border terrorist activity, raising fears about the fate of at least 60 other individuals, including security personnel, who are believed to be held by Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Among them are KDF soldiers who were taken hostage during the infamous El Adde attack and are suspected to be detained in the Jilib region.
President William Ruto, during a visit to Mandera on Tuesday as part of his development tour of the North Eastern region, assured residents that his administration is taking decisive measures to combat terrorism. He directed the National Police Service (NPS) to intensify security operations and prevent further kidnappings.
“Peace and stability are critical to our country’s progress. We are battling criminal elements of different kinds, and we are winning this war against crime and terrorism,” Ruto declared. He vowed that Kenya would not cede any part of its territory to terrorists and promised a sustained crackdown on their activities.
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