Police seek information on 5 Al-Shabaab suspects behind terrorist attacks in Kenya

The National Police Service (NPS) has cautioned Kenyans regarding five suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists that it says are on the loose.

In a statement to newsrooms on Friday, NPS implored members of the public to come forward with any information that may lead to the arrest of the said militants saying they pose a threat to the security of the country and East Africa at large.

“The police service is appealing to members of the public to share any information to the nearest police station or government agency regarding the presence and whereabouts of the following Al-Shabaab fighters who are behind terrorist attacks in parts of Lamu County and other parts of the country,” read the statement.

The five are Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir alias Ikrima, Maalim Ayman, Mohamud Abdi Aden alias Mohamed Yare, Ramadhan Kioko alias Pinjiaka Abu Nuseiba, and Abdullahi Bulati alias Abdullahi Banati alias Mustafa.

Ikrima, a close associate of Al-Shabaab's top leaders, is said to have been coordinating external attacks directed at countries within the Horn of Africa.

The police say he was one of the liaisons between Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) from Yemen and Al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia since he has dual citizenship of the latter and Norway.

NPS notes that Ikrima is directly linked to major attacks including the 2010 Kampala attack as well as the Westgate and dusitD2 attacks in Kenya.

Ayman, on the other hand, is said to be the head of the Al-Shabaab’s Jaysh Ayman wing that operates within the Lacta belt area in Lamu County.

He is responsible for attacks within the Boni enclave as well as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) attacks along the routes within the LAPSSET corridor connecting Garissa and Lamu counties. Kioko and Mohamed Yare are also part of the wing.

NPS notes that Ayman is linked to the Manda attack in 2020, and the government has already issued a Ksh.1.2 billion bounty for his arrest.

Likewise, Mustafa is the commander of Al-Shabaab militants deployed to the expansive Boni Forest that straddles Garissa and Lamu counties in Kenya and Somalia.

He is linked to numerous criminal and terror activities including poaching, mining and supplying IEDs in his aforementioned counties of operation.

He has also been involved in attacks at Ziwa La Taa, Pandanguo and Bodhei areas within Lamu County.