Police offer Sh16m bounty on eight wanted suspected terrorists

Police have offered a Sh16 million bounty on eight suspected terrorists said to be planning an attack in Kenya.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet has asked the public to help officers identify and inform about the whereabouts of the suspects.

“As part of our enhanced multi-agency counter-terrorism efforts, we have identified eight individuals whose images appear as being the ones planning and attempting to infiltrate terrorist operatives into our country in order to stage attacks,” said Boinnet in a statement yesterday.

Those wanted include Issack Alio Momamed Intallo, Rahim Mohamed Sheikh, Bishar Hared Hussein, Bashie Adan Osman Kulo, Abdirashid Ibrahim Osman Noor and Siyat Ibrahim Abdullahi.

Also wanted are Abdi Ahmed Ibrahim and Mohamed Muhumed Ahmed.

Each of them has a Sh2 million bounty on their heads.

Police said they were armed and dangerous.

The statement issued by police spokesman Charles Owino said there were increasing attempts by Somalia’s Al Shabaab terror group to infiltrate the country to stage attacks.

“Some of them are led by Isak Okola, suspected to be in Borubirdeso in Somalia, which is close to Elwak town, while another one is led by Ali Dere, who occasionally lives in Khadija Haji in Somalia near Mandera,” said the statement.

Police said other groups operated around Qumbi dam, which is between Daba Damasa towns as well as Hoosingo and Dobley.

The group has also been sighted near the Kenya-Somalia border in Boni Forest.

Boinnet said several terror attempts had been foiled and terror operatives arrested, including Habiba Omar Ali, who was among those found with five A-47 rifles and ammunition belonging to her husband, Mahat Issack Abdille, who is a key Al Shabaab link in Mandera.

The alert comes two months after police announced that terrorists who were intercepted in Merti, Isiolo, planned to attack Government buildings and release a terror suspect currently facing various charges.

Boinnet said the five suspects had planned to strike a court in Nairobi to free a suspect who is in custody. They also planned to attack Parliament and a church.