Four suspects in Coast killings surrender to Mombasa police
Mombasa County Commissioner Neslon Marua receives Abdulkarim Ramadhan aka Abdul (in red t-shirt) and Swaleh Ramadhan after they surrendered on November 19, 2014. The two were in the list of seven most wanted terror suspects within Mombasa. PHOTO |LABAN WALLOGA |NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Abdulkarim Mzee aka Abdul, Swaleh Ramadhan, Kayuni Khatib Khamisi and Farah Abdi Farah have in the last two days surrendered themselves.
- Twenty-one-year-old Farah Abdi Farah denied being part of any gang saying he was surprised to see his photo in the papers on Sunday.
- Abdul and Swaleh, who surrendered Wednesday, were handed over to the County Commissioner Nelson Marwa by Muslims for Human Rights group.
- Mombasa Police Commander Robert Kitur said Farah will be questioned and released if found innocent.
Four out of seven suspects whose names and images appeared on the Sunday Nation and who are believed to be members of a gang behind the wave of killings in the Coast have so surrendered to the police.
Abdulkarim Mzee aka Abdul, Swaleh Ramadhan, Kayuni Khatib Khamisi and Farah Abdi Farah have in the last two days surrendered themselves to Mombasa County Commissioner and the County Police Commander.
Abdul and Swaleh, who surrendered Wednesday, were handed over to the County Commissioner Nelson Marwa by Muslims for Human Rights group as they expressed their innocence.
Swaleh who was brought from Msambweni in Kwale County, told Nation.co.ke that he had no links with any outlawed group and that the image on the paper was one from his lost job card.
Both were handed to the Mombasa OCPD Geoffrey Mayek for interrogation.
Twenty-one-year-old Farah Abdi Farah denied being part of any gang saying he was surprised to see his photo in the papers on Sunday.
“I am a peace loving person,” he told the media on Monday afternoon at the Coast provincial headquarters where he was accompanied by his father, Mr Abdi Farah, a Mwembe Kuku village elder.
Mombasa Police Commander Robert Kitur said Farah will be questioned and released if found innocent.
“We ask the others to also come out so we can discuss a few things. We also call upon criminals to surrender,” Mr Kitur said.
Kayuni Khatib Khamisi aged 26, was the second suspect to surrender to the authorities on Tuesday afternoon.
Flanked by Mombasa county leaders Governor Hassan Joho, Senator Hassan Omar, Deputy Governor Hazel Katana together with Mvita, Changamwe, and Likoni parliamentarians, Khatib told journalists he was shocked and has been in fear since Sunday after seeing his name on the newspaper.
"I have come to clear my name because I have no link and I have never had contacts with the said terror groups. All I have is a case in court," said Mr Khatib.
His father said he saw it fit to bring his son following claims of his son's association with the extremists group Al-Shabaab.
DENIED SHABAAB LINKS
"Kayuni has never been involved with Al-Shabaab or Al-Qaeda; he has only been implicated in a case which involved a fight between Majengo and Mwembe Kuku youths," Mr Khatib Khamisi said in his son's defence.
Mr Kitur thanked the leaders for working together and cooperating with the officers in restoring peace and order in the county.
He also recognised efforts by Haki Africa's Executive Director Hussein Khalid for being instrumental in bringing Farah Abdi Farah and Kayuni Khatib to the authorities.
The Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro over the weekend said police were circulating the identities of Ismael Shosi Mohammed, aka Ismael Mmanga, Abdulkarim Mzee aka Abdul, Farah Abdi Farah, Kayuni Khatib Khamisi, Mahir Khalid Riziki, Fauz Omar Mohamed and Swaleh Ramadhan because they wanted help from the public to track down on the suspects.
Security agents warned that the men, whom they claim are returnees from Somalia, were armed, dangerous and well trained in weaponry and intelligence tactics.
