Lamu family in agony over 'lost' kin

A family of a man allegedly arrested by police officers in Hindi Trading Centre in Lamu in connection with the July 9 attacks say they cannot trace him.

They claimed that Mohammed Hassan Bashir, 40, was arrested by officers outside Hindi Muslim Mosque on July 14, nine days after the twin attacks in Gamba and Hindi that left at least 22 people dead.

Abdi Alme Abdi, who is Basir's cousin, told The Standard in Mombasa yesterday that the father of six was in the company of three herders when two plainclothes policemen approached and roughed him up before arresting him.

Abdi said Bashir has been traversing Lamu County and Ijara in Garissa County with his cattle for the last three years in search of water and pasture.

They claimed that Bashir's cellphone had since been switched off.

"We were informed that Bashir had been arrested as he tried to enter a mosque," said Abdi.

"He had just come from herding cattle in Kibokoni area and was rushing to Hindi Muslim Mosque with other herders. While outside the mosque, two men alighted from a Toyota LandCruiser and approached and beat him up before he was pushed into the car and driven off," said Abdi.

Abdi said the two men had earlier made contact on their phones with a third party before they went straight to Bashir.

According to Bashir's brother Hussein Hassan, a former councillor, his brother was later spotted in a GK vehicle in Witu.

disowned car

His kin said they had visited all police stations in Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, parts of Tana River and Mombasa looking for him, but were unsuccessful.

They also claim that police in the area have disowned the Government vehicle registration number GK A 367Y the missing man was allegedly bundled into.

"We have searched for him in Mokowe, Lamu Mpeketoni, Witu and Gamba, and police officers there say they don't remember booking any one by that name. We lodged complaints with the OCPD in Lamu but we were later told that police in the area don't own a vehicle with the said registration numbers," said Hassan.

Lamu West OCPD Amos Cheboi failed to respond to our queries on the matter, but gave us to a cellphone number that went unanswered. County Commissioner Njenga Miiri also did not pick up our calls.

Bashir's relatives claimed the missing man might have been set up by some traders in Hindi after a feud, prior to the attacks.

At least nine people were killed and several others injured when unknown gunmen raided Hindi Shopping Centre. Kenya Redcross said they recovered nine bodies in the Hindi attack.

Ten people were also killed on the same day in a separate incidentin Tana Delta by unknown gunmen. Police said heavily armed attackers struck Gamba police station in Garsen, Tana Delta County, killing at least 10 people before releasing a man believed to be a ringleader of the recent Mpeketoni attacks who was being held there.