Journalist’s wife picked up in terror probe

A Mombasa-based FM radio presenter’s wife has been picked up by police hours after her husband was arrested over the Kampala terrorist bombings on July 11.

Police went to Mr Habib Suleiman’s house in Majengo, Mombasa, and seized his wife, Hawa Ibrahim.

Mr Habib Suleiman is said to have been taken away by detectives on Saturday in Nairobi as he travelled to the coastal city by bus.

The officers displayed a search warrant before entering Mr Ibrahim’s house and left several hours later. They detained the woman at Coast Provincial police headquarters.

Coast police boss Leo Nyongesa said: “She is here to record a statement. She is not under arrest. That’s all I can say.”

Mr Suleiman also worked as a religious programmes producer at Radio Salaam. Four other people have been seized in Mombasa in connection with the bomb attacks claimed by Somali insurgent group al Shabaab.

At least 76 people who had jammed two restaurants in the Ugandan capital to watch the World Cup final match between Spain and the Netherlands were killed when the blasts went off.

On Monday, there were conflicting reports on where Mr Suleiman was arrested.

His colleagues at the station claimed he was taken off a Mombasa-bound bus at Kitengela.

But Uganda police told the media there he was arrested at the border with Kenya.

Mr Nyongesa told the Nation that he was arrested in Mombasa and transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit in Nairobi.

A colleague at the radio station said Mr Suleiman was off-duty attending to personal matters in Nairobi when he was arrested.

The station’s programme controller, Mr Abeid Mutsmi, said they had scanty information on the arrest adding that he will only make further comment after gathering adequate information.

“The issue is in public domain but we have no elaborate information regarding his arrest. He was at work three days ago and I don’t understand how he was arrested,” he added.

His colleagues said they were puzzled by the development.

Sources within the anti-terrorism unit said the suspect had already been flown to Kampala to face charges.

The sources said Mr Suleiman was arrested for allegedly hosting people suspected to have information regarding the bombing. 

We also learnt that Kenyan detectives had flown to Kampala to shed more light on suspects arrested in the country since the bombing.