NCIC says blogger Alai’s Wajir attack posts glorify terrorism

NCIC Secretary Hassan Mohamed, who, in a statement released on June 17, 2019 condemned the posting by blogger Robert Alai of photos of bodies of police officers who died in a terror attack in Wajir on Saturday. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The commission warned the blogger against sharing of such photos which it said amounted to glorifying acts of terrorism.
  • NCIC urged the blogger to pull down the photos from his social media platforms.
  • It also cautioned other social media users against sharing the photos on their platforms.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has condemned blogger Robert Alai for posting on social media bodies of police officers who died in a terror attack in Wajir on Saturday.

In a statement to media houses released on Monday, the commission warned the blogger against sharing of such photos which it said amounted to glorifying acts of terrorism.

NCIC described Mr Alai’s action as illegal, saying that the photos are likely to cause unnecessary alarm to the public and also affect the bereaved families negatively.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

“The commission strongly condemns the sharing of these photos as [they are] construed as glorifying acts of terrorism. The sharing of such photos also had the potential to cause despondency amongst the country’s armed forces as well as negatively affect the families of the victims and the unity of the country,” read the statement signed by the commission’s secretary Hassan Mohamed.

The commission urged the blogger to pull down the photos from his social media platforms and also cautioned other social media users against sharing the photos on their platforms.

TWEET

NCIC was reacting to the blogger’s post which he tweeted on Monday castigating the manner in which the police were transporting the bodies of the slain officers.

During the attack on Saturday Morning, 12 police officers were killed when their vehicle ran over a landmine at Kotoni centre as they pursued attackers who had raided the village on Friday evening.

But Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai said the number of police officers who were on board the patrol vehicle that was hit by the landmine were 11.