Shock as chief's severed head found after abduction by Shabaab

An assistant chief who was recently abducted by suspected Al Shabaab militants in Wajir was decapitated and his severed head found in Gumarey sub-location in an incident that has horrified both police and locals.

Mr Omar Aden was abducted on Friday from Gumerey at Khorof Harar in Wajir East and his head found on Monday at around 10am.

According to a police report seen by the Nation, the rest of his body is yet to be found.

Police say the chief's severed head was found by herders along the Chinese cutline between Khorof Harar and Konton.

"The scene was visited and established that the deceased was beheaded at another place and head placed at the road. The scene was photographed and the head taken to Khorof Harar police station awaiting to be taken to Wajir county Referral Hospital mortuary," reads the police report.

The abduction happened on Friday at Gumerey centre when Al-Shabaab reportedly invaded the area and ordered residents to switch off their phones before lecturing them, security briefs say.

A police brief had earlier indicated that the militants walked away with the chief who was said to be on security officials' radar as an alleged Shabaab sympathiser.

Khorof Kharar is among the terror hotspots in the region due to its close proximity to the Kenya-Somalia border. 

The outbreak of coronavirus earlier this year saw a significant drop in attacks after the government imposed travel restrictions.

However, the last two weeks have seen a rise in the number of attacks in Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties, signaling the return of terror incidents attacks in the region. 

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