Garowe (WDN) – Gunmen from the terrorist group Al-Shabaab have kidnapped five local Officers in Mandera County, Kenya, while they were on an official government inspection tour. The abduction occurred as they traveled between Elwak and Mandera, according to police reports.

The Commander of Police in Southern Mandera County, Mr. Julius Njeru, confirmed the incident, stating that the officials had departed from El-Gadud and were enroute to Elwak when they were intercepted and kidnapped by the militants.

Mandera had long been a battleground, caught in the relentless grip of terror. Just months earlier, a driver working for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was ambushed in Lafey, his life cut short in a hail of gunfire. His body was left on the roadside while his attackers vanished with his government-issued vehicle. Like many before it, the stolen car disappeared into Somalia, a chilling reminder of how easily Al-Shabaab operatives slip across the border, striking with impunity before retreating to safety.

Following the attack, Mandera County Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif strongly condemned the abduction and urged security agencies to intensify their efforts to ensure the immediate rescue of the officials. Kenyan security forces have been placed on high alert, and a large-scale search operation is currently underway.

For years, the people of Mandera, Wajir, Lamu, and Garissa counties had lived under siege. Militants had turned security officers, teachers, local leaders, and aid workers into primary targets, forcing entire communities into a state of perpetual fear. Development projects stalled, businesses withered, and once–bustling roads became corridors of death, where every journey carried the risk of a deadly ambush.

As President Ruto’s visit loomed, the Kenyan government moved swiftly. Security forces fortified every checkpoint, their presence unmistakable. Overhead, drones scanned the unforgiving landscape, searching for any trace of the missing men. On the ground, the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) and local police intensified their patrols, pushing toward the porous border in a desperate bid to bring the captives home.

Al-Shabaab Claims Responsibility

Through its media channels, Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the abduction, identifying the kidnapped officials as:

1. Addow Abdulle Mohamed – Former Governor of War-Gaduude town.
2. Mohamed Nur Haji – Governor of Jajaboole area.
3. Abdi Hasan Surre – Governor of Qurac Madoobe area.
4. Mohamed Hasan Kulmiye – Governor of War-Gaduude (Eastern Section).
5. Ibrahim Gabow Abdulle – Deputy Governor of the Eastern Section of War-Gaduude.

The timing of this attack, just days before an expected visit by Kenyan President Dr. William Ruto to Mandera County, appears to be a deliberate move by Al-Shabaab to gain widespread media attention across Africa.

WardheerNews