Former Mandera police boss's son arrested over Al-Shabaab link
Members of Al-Shabaab at an undisclosed location in Somalia. A pick-up transporting miraa from the Meru to Mandera town was on Saturday morning hijacked by suspected Al-Shabaab militants along Mandera-Lafey-Elwak road on the Kenya/Somalia border. FILE PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- The suspect was handed over to the ATPU in Eldoret for questioning. His phone, and personal documents have been confiscated for analysis.
- On interrogation, the suspect, who is a form four leaver seemed to have knowledge of the terror group.
- An injured Mr Maruk was flown to Nairobi with his wife and child but died before arriving at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The son of a former Mandera police boss has been arrested on suspicion of being a member of Al-Shabaab.
Mr Said Amin Maruk, 21, was arrested in Turkana County on Wednesday and handed to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit in Eldoret yesterday for questioning.
Sources in the police said the suspect was taken to Nairobi for further questioning.
National Intelligence Service officers got information that he had links with the Somalia terrorist group.
“The suspect is a Form Four leaver who seemed to have some knowledge about the group, but he could not answer all the questions,” a source said.
His phone and personal documents were confiscated for analysis. Eldoret Anti-Terrorism Police Chief Abner Tumbo Luka was non-committal, saying he was on official duty in Malindi.
Said’s father, Mr James Ekai Maruk, died in a road accident on February 17 in Garissa.
DIED BEFORE ARRIVING
The police chief was travelling with 10 other people, including eight police officers, when their vehicle landed in a ditch at Madogo after failing to negotiate a corner.
An injured Mr Maruk was flown to Nairobi with his wife and child but died before arriving at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Police in Eldoret Town are on high alert and have been patrolling the town’s Zion Mall after intelligence reports indicated it could be a terrorist target.
Security has also been beefed up at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Indian Estate.
Eldoret East police boss Nelson Taliti said more officers had been deployed to these places and appealed to the public to notify the authorities of any suspicious person or activity in and around Eldoret Town.
Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Abdi Hassan said security had been boosted at markets, entertainment joints and churches.
But he warned people against spreading false information on social media.
“Those spreading these malicious reports should stop immediately,” Mr Hassan said yesterday.
One of the attackers who shot and killed 148 people at the Garissa University on April 2, was the son of a government official.
