Wanted Wajir terror suspect surrenders to authorities

Ms Mumina Eroba, whom police had offered a Sh1 million reward for her arrest after she was linked to terrorist activities together with her son. She surrendered to authorities in Wajir on June 18, 2018 and is being interrogated by detectives. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Ms Mumina Eroba is the mother of Abdiwab Osman Ahmed, a suspected Al-Shabaab militant who is believed to have orchestrated the attack.
  • The police had placed a Sh1 million shilling bounty on her head together with two other suspects who include her son.
  • Together with the other family members, Ms Eroba presented herself to the authorities on Tuesday.

One of the most wanted terror suspects believed to be connected to the February attack at Qarsa in Wajir County that left three people dead has surrendered to authorities.

Ms Mumina Eroba is the mother of Abdiwab Osman Ahmed, a suspected Al-Shabaab militant who is believed to have orchestrated the attack. She presented herself together with her son’s wife Asha Ahmed Gedi at the Wajir county commissioner’s office on Monday.

She was also accompanied by some of her family members and an assistant chief from Got Adde Sub-Location who had played a role in tracking her down.

SH1M BOUNTY

The National Police Service had placed a Sh1 million shilling bounty on her head together with two other suspects who include her son Ahmed and Ahmed Debar on May 30 urging any member of the public with the knowledge of their whereabouts to report to the authorities.

According to the alert from the police, Ms Eroba, together with her son’s wife, Asha Ahmed Gedi, though not directly involved in terrorist activities, were said to be complicit in his activities.

In an exclusive interview with the Nation, Assistant Chief Yahya Abdi Mohamed from Got Adde Sub-Location recalled how he managed to track down Ms Eroba until her surrender.

Mr Yahya said he approached a person who bears a name similar to Ms Eroba’s and asked him if he knew her or was in any way related to her, only to discover that the man was the suspect’s cousin.

The assistant chief then informed him that the authorities were looking for his relative and a reward had been offered to the person who would help find her.

RELAYED MESSAGE

The suspect’s relative is then said to have sent some family members to relay the message to her and urged her to come to his home so that they could present themselves to the authorities.

He added that Ms Eroba then showed up at her cousin’s home on Monday night where the chief was contacted as they had earlier agreed.

Together with the other family members, Ms Eroba presented herself to the authorities on Tuesday.

According to the administrator, the suspect was all along staying in Shimbir Fatuma location in Wajir West and it was not immediately clear if she knew that she was a wanted person.

MISSING

He added that her son (Abdiwab Osman) was a Duksi teacher in Halane Location’s Taqwa mosque from 2014 to 2016 before he went missing on March 15, 2017 when he is believed to have moved to Somalia.

However, according to the May alert by the police, Mr Ahmed was reported to be in hiding at Gedo, Somalia, having gone into the country in 2016.

The suspect is reported to have called his mother on March 19, four days after he disappeared from his home informing, her that he had gone to Somalia where he claimed he had set up a business.

According to the assistant chief, the suspect was in contact with his mother during the period until May 2017 when they last spoke.

Ms Eroba, together with her son’s wife, are currently in police custody where they are being interrogated.