On Monday morning, five chiefs based at Wargadud area in Mandera County set off for an assignment at Elwak town, some 30 kilometres away and about 15 kilometres from the Somalia border.
At Elwak, the sub county headquarters, they were expected to carry out a screening process for applicants seeking the Kenyan national identity card.
But what was supposed to be a routine exercise turned into a major security scare and jolted into action security agencies — including the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
When they reached the Eres-Suki area along the Elwak-Wargadud road, the chiefs were flagged down by armed men suspected to be members of Al-Shabab militia.
Eres-Suk lies on the border of Lafey and Mandera South (Elwak) sub-County and the spot, according to police, is notorious with incidents of attacks by armed men reported there.
The 8.30am incident caught security agencies by surprise, with a witness recounting to the police how the administrators were held captive.
Mandera County Criminal Investigation boss Pius Gitau, quoting the witness, said after they were ordered to stop, several other armed men emerged from the bushes immediately the engine of the vehicle carrying the chiefs was switched off.
“Occupants in another vehicle that was behind the chiefs reported counting about 40 militants at the scene. They tied the chiefs using a rope and drove away as others walked back into the thickets,” Mr Gitau said.
Those held captive are Mr Adawa Abdi Mohammed of Wargadud Town Location, Mr Mohamed Hassan Kulmia (Wargadud East) and Mr Mohamednur Hache of Chachabole Location of Shimbirfatuma division.
The other two are Mr Abdi Hassan Suraw of Qurahmadow Location and Mr Ibrahim Gabow of Wargadud Location. It was not immediately clear whether the chiefs were armed.
Efforts by the security agencies in Mandera to trace and save the chiefs had not borne fruits by Monday evening.
By the end of the day, a combined security operation led by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) was yet to recover the vehicle or any of the five chiefs.
Speaking to the Nation by phone, Mr Gitau said there was no shared security intelligence over a planned incident by the Al-Shabaab targeting the chiefs.
“We have always been on alert along that road because this is a point where the militants have always used to harm civil servants and other road users,” he said.
“We are yet to make any recovery or rescue any of the five chiefs but our security officers continue pursuing the abductors who sped off towards Somalia,” he added.
The area lies less than 15 kilometres to the Kenya Somalia border, making it easy for the militants to strike and retreat to Somalia.
Mr Gitau said it was possible that the chiefs had been taken to Somalia since the area is dry and from any direction one can easily cross the border.
“It is very dry here and one does not need to use the main routes to get into Somalia. From any direction you can cross the border,” he said.
On December 9, 2024, Al-Shabaab struck early in the morning, killing a police officer (driver) attached to Lafey Directorate of Criminal Investigations office and made away with the vehicle.
However, the police in Mandera could not link the chiefs’ abduction to the identification card issuance process.
“We are yet to know if this was about the ID card issuance process or the normal terror incident,” a security source said on condition of anonymity.
Foreigners from Somalia and Ethiopia have in the past obtained Kenyan ID cards through fraudulent means involving government officers and those who oppose the process have been a target.
Somalia nationals pay between Sh100,000 to Sh250,000 in bribery to obtain the cards.
It remained unclear on which way the government would deploy to get the five chiefs freed by the militants.
The reported abduction of the chiefs comes hours before President William Ruto lands in Mandera to kick off his five-day tour of the north eastern region.
The Head of State is expected in Mandera on Tuesday before touring Wajir and winding up his tour in Garissa on Friday.
