UK says its citizens nabbed in Mombasa Islamic school raid were abused

The saga surrounding Tuesday's arrest of 95 children from a madrassa in Likoni has taken a new twist after the British government said some of them were its nationals.

The British High Commission has acknowledged that officers from the UK's National Crime Agency coordinated the raid with the Kenyan police to rescue its citizens undergoing alleged abuse.

“On 19 December, 2017 Kenyan police executed warrants at a correctional centre in Mombasa where it was alleged children were at risk of harm. This included one Kenyan police unit which was mentored by the UK’s National Crime Agency. The officers rescued more than 90 children," said a statement from the High Commission on Wedneday evening

Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of Kenya (Supkem) said it ought to have been involved in the operation. 

Supkem chairman Yusuf Nzibo said his organisation was determined to cooperate with State authorities to establish the truth of the alleged abuse allegations but also indicated local "community leaders and Supkem" were not informed of this operation.               

Following an early morning raid on the school the children and their four teachers were rounded up and held at the Coast provincial police headquarters.

Most were taken to Tononoka Children's Court on Tuesday evening and freed on bond without charges.

Parents who could prove links with their children were allowed to leave with them but The Standard spoke to five parents who claimed they had lost contact with their children and could also not trace them at the police station, court or children's home.

The children were picked from Madrassatul al Falah at about 9am by a several armed Kenyan detectives and three white men who seized the children and arrested four teachers at the madrasa.

Police suspect the children were victims of a child trafficking syndicate spanning several nations and two continents.

Among the 95 children are 20 foreigners of various nationalities and reports indicate some are British, Canadian and Zimbabwe nationals or residents. It is still not clear how or why these foreigners ended up in the decrepit home.