Garissa family demands justice after kin abducted by armed men on highway

52-year-old Abdulrahman Omar Sheikh. (Courtesy)

A family in Garissa is pleading for justice and urgent intervention after their kin was abducted by unknown armed men along the Garissa-Nairobi highway on Saturday.

According to relatives, the 52-year-old Abdulrahman Omar Sheikh was travelling with six others, including the driver, when their taxi was intercepted by masked, gun-wielding men in two Toyota Prado SUVs.

The attackers reportedly forced Omar and another male passenger, believed to be of Somali origin, out of the vehicle at gunpoint, leaving the remaining four occupants unharmed.

Abdirizak Omar Sheikh, the victim's brother, said the two were beaten, blindfolded, and bundled into the waiting vehicles.

"He was travelling back to Garissa from Nairobi where he had come to purchase but he did not succeed to buy," Sheikh stated.

The abductors are said to have veered off the main road and, after several kilometres, threw one of the victims out of the moving vehicle into a bush.

The survivor later informed the family that the two vehicles sped off with Omar still inside.

"The other abductee told us that the two vehicles fled with my brother inside. We have not seen him again. We don't know who took him, where he is. All we want is justice and the safe return of our brother," Sheikh appealed.

The brother stated that Omar, who works as a contractor with an International Non-Governmental Organisation, had not indicated any threats to his life, nor had he been involved in any disputes.

"I am his confidant, if he had had any issue or feared for his life, he would have told me about it but he never told me anything," Sheikh added.

The family claimed that the abduction was a well-coordinated scheme by security agencies.

The family reported the matter to local authorities, but they say little has been done to trace Omar's whereabouts or bring the perpetrators to book.

"We don't know why he was abducted. We are appealing to the government to take action for the release of our brother," said Muna Omar, a sister.

That incident was reported at Ukasi and Garissa Police Stations under Occurrence Book Numbers 16/10/05/2025 and 66/10/05/2025 respectively. However, they say no significant progress has been made in tracing Omar's whereabouts or identifying those behind the abduction.

The incident came after a series of unexplained abductions, raising concerns among human rights organizations about enforced disappearances and extrajudicial actions in the country.