Family defends student on police most wanted list

 Moi University student Salad Tari Gufu,25, surrenders to police at Huruma Police station on 20th July,2017.He resembles his brother, Gufu, Tari Gufu who the family claimed joined Alshabaab in 2013. Police had sent out pictures of his brother with a reward of shs 2m. Pictures; Edward Kiplimo

The family of a university student listed among five of the most wanted terror suspects has surrendered him to police.

Salaadh Tari Gufu, a 25-year-old third-year student at Moi University, was detained by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) for investigations.

Mr Tari's sisters and brothers broke down as they protested his innocence, saying he was not a member of the Al-Shabaab terror group.

The arrest came after police on Monday circulated the photos of five suspected Al-Shabaab militants and appealed to the public to report their whereabouts, offering a Sh2 million reward for information leading to their arrest.

FIVE SUSPECTS

Tari alias Mwalimu and his brother Gufu Tari Gufu were among the five suspects.

Police said Tari operated a studio in Marsabit County, where he sold DVDs containing sermons of radical Muslim preachers, and that he was also linked to a terror cell at Moi University before it was dismantled.

But his sister, Rahma Qali Tari defended him, saying it was Gufu Tari - also on the most wanted list - who had joined Al-Shabaab and that the family had since disowned him.

Rahma said Gufu left the country and joined the terror group in 2013 and had never returned home.

"My little brother is not a terrorist and is not involved in any criminal activities so he should not be judged by the people who are posting wrong information about him," said Rahma outside Huruma Police Station.

She said the family took Tari to the police to clear his name after they heard the news that he was on the the most wanted list.

"We were shocked to hear that our brother was a wanted person since we know him as a student at Moi University," said Rahma.

Tari's half-brother, Muhamed Suleiman, said he lived in Huruma estate and was a teacher.

The family broke down when ATPU detectives whisked the suspect away.

"When we took Mwalimu to the police station, the officers there said we had done a good job and we were told to wait for the ATPU officers," said Mr Suleiman.

SUSPECTS' FAMILY

He said the family had lived with Tari for many years.

"The police must show evidence that Mwalimu is a member of Al-Shabaab or anything to show that he is a sympathiser of terrorism," said Suleiman.

Tari's parents were not at the police station because they live in Marsabit where, according to the family, the suspect was born and raised.

The five suspects on the list are Abdikadir Mohamed aka Ikrima, Mohammed Tajir Ali, Suleiman Irungu Mwangi and brothers Salaadh Tari Gufu and Gufu Tari Gufu.

Besides his brother, Tari's cousin, Hassan Jarso Kartola, is also wanted by police.