Mombasa family in panic after former terrorism suspect abducted

The woman picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed her 39-year-old husband in the chest. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Skanda, 31,  had been charged alongside Mr Ahmed Abdallah Ali Skanda with detonating an improvised explosive device and damaging property on May 3, 2014.

  • The terrorism act was allegedly committed at Reef Hotel in Nyali Sub-county.

  • The two were released after the prosecution failed to prove the case against them.

The family of acquitted terrorism suspect Nassir Abdallah Skanda is in panic after he was abducted by people believed to be police officers.

Mr Skanda, according to his family, was bundled into a white saloon car in Nyali on Friday last week. The family also recorded the registration number of the vehicle.

ACQUITTED

To date, they are yet to trace Mr Skanda who was facing terrorism-related charges but was acquitted.

Mr Skanda, 31,  had been charged alongside Mr Ahmed Abdallah Ali Skanda with detonating an improvised explosive device and damaging property on May 3, 2014.

The terrorism act was allegedly committed at Reef Hotel in Nyali Sub-county. The two were released after the prosecution failed to prove the case against them.

Speaking at Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) offices in Nyali, his mother-in-law Shumi Shelaly said Mr Skanda was taken by five people who introduced themselves as police officers.

"He was coming from work heading home with four other friends who were together in a tuk tuk, the vehicle came and blocked the tuk tuk before forcefully making away with him," said Ms Shelaly.

POLICE HEADQUARTERS

She said the officers told Mr Skanda's friends to follow him to police headquarters in Nairobi.

Ms Shelaly said her daughter's husband had remained indoors for nine months after his acquittal, only to go missing after getting out of the house twice.

"He had reduced his movements and he was only going to do manual jobs. He had gone for his second job only for the state to do this injustice to us," she said.

Muhuri's rapid response officer Francis Auma said efforts to trace Mr Skanda in Nairobi hit a snag.

"I have been to Nairobi and police at the headquarters say they are not aware of the incident and are not holding the suspect anywhere. We wonder for how long these cases will go on," said Mr Auma.

PLEA

He said searching for Mr Skanda in hospitals, morgues and police stations had not borne fruit.

Mr Skanda's mother Juweriah Nassir, 58, who broke down during the briefing appealed to the government to intervene and help find his fourth born.

"I have not been able to eat in the last one week. Please let President Uhuru Kenyatta hear our plea. We need help in this matter and if my son is suspected of anything then let them present him before the court," said Ms Nassir.

Muhuri executive director Hassan Abdile said the trend whereby terrorism suspects go missing had got to an alarming level.

"What is the government telling us? That it has no faith in our Constitution? The suspect was acquitted, why arrest him and leave the family in pain? The rule of law must be respected, let the DPP come to the rescue of these families," said Mr Abdile.