Terrorists handed 19-year prison term for foiled Nairobi attack

Mohammed Osman Nane (right) and AbdMjait Hassan Adan at a Milimani court on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, when they were found guilty of being members of terror group Al Shabaab. [Collins Kweyu,Standard]

Abdimajit Hassan Adan and Mohamed Osman had plotted terror attacks at the heart of Nairobi.

However, hawk-eyed security agencies intercepted the vehicles they had rigged with bombs at Merti, Isiolo County.

This was in 2018.

Six years later, the long hand of the law caught up with them.

Milimani Court magistrate Zainab Abdul ordered that they should cool their heels behind bars for 25 years.

The magistrate handed the two 25 years for each of the six counts.

At the same time, they were handed 15 years for two counts and one year for one count.

However, the sentences are to run concurrently, meaning that the highest count stands.

This means that they will serve 25 years. However, the magistrate deducted six years that they had served behind bars.

And this now means that they will serve the remaining 19 years.

At the same time, the magistrate ordered that Lydia Nyawira should spend three years behind bars for helping out with the forgery of Kenyan national IDs for the terrorists.

The magistrate agreed with the Director of Public Prosecution Renson Ingonga that they intended to cause harm to Kenyans.

“There is no doubt that this was a complex matter,” said Abdul, adding that the charges they were facing are serious and, hence, could not hand them a non-custodial sentence.

 In the case, Ingonga through Principal Prosecution Counsel Allen Mulama told the court that an analysis of the explosive devices found implanted in the vehicles could have caused massive destruction to anything in a radius of 351 meters.

At the same time, anyone within that radius could have either been maimed or killed.

Ingonga urged the magistrate to hand Hassan and Osman maximum sentences for all the counts.

In his argument, the DPP stated that the two should be given life sentences in two counts while in others, the maximum of 15 years.

For Nyawira, the DPP submitted that she be handed seven years as she had aided terrorists in gaining access to the country.

According to the DPP, Garrisa University, Westgate Mall, Dussit D2 attacks were carried out by terrorists who acquired fake IDs from cyber cafes in the country.

He said that jailing Nyawira would be a lesson to other people whose appetite for money motivated them to commit crime.

 Nyawira in her mitigation said that her employer gave instructions for her to print the IDs.

On the other hand, Hassan pleaded for a probation. In a well-oiled plea in smooth English, he said that he would be an ambassador against terrorism.

Hassna was born in Isiolo. He was a teacher in Marsabit before he started engaging in livestock business until 2018 when he was arrested.

On February 15, 2018, in Merti, Isiolo security agencies  foiled a plan to attack government buildings.

In the case, the court heard that five suspects were arrested in a planned strike of a court in Nairobi to free a suspect who was in custody.

They had also planned to attack a government building to cause maximum damage and deaths.

The high-value suspect they had planned to free was Muslim cleric Sheikh Guyo Gorsa who is currently in custody over various terror related charges.

The police boss did not disclose the other targeted government structure.

Some 1,199 bullets, 36 unprimed hand grenades, 18 Improvised Explosive Devices and five AK 47 rifles were recovered from an SUV and four.

There were also three military knives in the vehicle that the terrorists planned to use in their attacks.

Police also recovered several SIM cards and mobile phones, a black flag and other paraphernalia associated with Al-Shabaab militia groups, motorcycle registration number KMEE 180R and ignition keys from the suspects.

The recovery took place in a remote area, almost 200 kilometers from Isiolo Town. The VBIED had been built into the car and were ready for detonation.

He said the terrorists had bought the Mitsubishi SUV from a Nairobi yard and drove it to Somalia where it was fitted with the explosives ready for explosion.

One suspect was killed at the site in Merti area while two others were arrested.

Following investigations, security agencies raided Delta Hotel on University Way opposite Central police station where the suspects had booked and spent almost a week while planning their attack.

They had also booked another house in Ongata Rongai estate for their plans.

In court, Ingonga said that the recovery and the sentence is a milestone in anti-terror operations in the country.