Five bodies found in shallow grave in Mandera

Five bodies of missing persons found in shallow grave

Herders in Bambo, Mandera, have discovered five bodies buried in a shallow grave.  

The five, four men and a woman, were reported missing by their relatives last week.

The locals exhumed the bodies on Monday morning and took them to Lafey Hospital.

A medical personnel at the hospital told Nation.co.ke that a male body had bullet wounds in the forehead and the other bodies appeared to have been strangled.

MISSING

The five were from Fino ward but their bodies were found in Warankara ward, about 65 kilometres away.

Abdi Adan Orai said his brother disappeared from home on Friday and his family had been looking for him.

“There has been a security operation in Fino and we suspected my brother along with these other four were picked up and killed by security agents before being buried here,” Mr Orai alleged.

Reached for comment, Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia disputed the claims and pointed an accusing finger at an “enemy within”.

“We are fighting an enemy within us and it is difficult to blame the security agents on this incident when the enemy is applying many tactics,” he said.

Mr Shisia said the mysterious disappearances of people who are later found dead and buried in shallow graves were worrying but investigations had started.

MYSTERIOUS DEATHS

Last Friday, the bodies of two other people were discovered buried at Border Point One in Mandera East after they were reported missing by their relatives.

“Let people not use this situation to gain political mileage but wait until we conclude investigations and make public our findings on these mysterious deaths,” Mr Shisia said.

Mandera County Deputy Governor Omar Maalim condemned the killings, calling on the security agents to hasten investigations and arrest the culprits.

“We can’t accept losing our people just like that. I'm calling on the government to come clear on this and many others that have happened in the past,” Mr Maalim said.

A security operation in Fino and other urban centres along the Mandera-Lafey-Elwak road is in response to the recent road bombings in the area.