Police: Only one Isiolo youth has been radicalized, not 40
Police in Isiolo say only one youth in the area is believed to have been radicalized and not 40 as reported in a section of the press.
Isiolo District Criminal Investigation Officer (DCIO) Peter Ndubi said only one student out of the 34 believed to have been radicalized to join Al-Shabaab is still missing.
Mr Ndubi said his office is only aware of a 17 year old boy from Isiolo Boys School who went missing in February.
He said the mother, Mrs Amina Madei reported the disappearance of Adan Badrudin Hassan on February 9, prompting the investigating officers to ask the school head teacher to draw a list of 33 others who were said to have been missing in the same period.
The DCIO revealed that after thorough investigations, the 33 boys were found to have missed school due to lack of fees, some had been transferred to other schools while others were ill.
He further added that Adan Badrudin Hassan, who is believed to have been radicalized later, communicated with her mother once, after which the investigative officers traced the phone that led them to Mandera County.
“After investigation, we arrested the owner of the phone who is also the suspect believed to have advocated for the boy’s recruitment,” said Mr Ndubi.
The suspect identified as Adan Ibrahim Adan (40) is currently in Isiolo Prison awaiting his judgment.
ACT OF TERRORISM
Adan, a resident of Mandera; was charged on March 2, with advocating and facilitating Badrudin Hassan Adan to join Al-Shabaab in preparation to commit an act of terrorism.
According to the DCIO, the boy’s mother said the boy believed to have been radicalized is still hiding in Mandera.
Mrs Madei said on phone that she was unaware of the whereabouts of his son.
“We do not know his whereabouts. We are working together with authorities to find him. I hope he is still in Kenya,” Mrs Madei said.
The DCIO said investigations to arrest the boy are ongoing.
He denied allegations of the purported list promised to be released to the media containing more than 40 students believed to have joined Al-Shabaab.
“I only know of one (Adan Badrudin Hassan) and not 40,” Mr Ndubi said.
He appealed to residents to report any suspicious people, information or incidences to relevant authorities.