GARISSA, Kenya — A family in Hulugho is demanding answers over the whereabouts of a herder they allege was taken away by security officers during an operation at the Kenya-Somalia border.
Relatives of Siyad Abdi Omar, together with Garissa human-rights activists, are calling for his immediate release and want security agencies to explain where he is being held.
The family says Omar was allegedly taken from his home after security officers arrived in several vehicles and surrounded the area for more than three hours.
According to family spokesperson Zakariya Yussuf, the officers allegedly fired shots into the air before Omar returned from herding goats. He claims the officers then blindfolded the herder and drove him away.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and no response from the security agencies was reported in the account.
Family fears for father of nine
Omar’s family says his disappearance has left his children and three wives traumatised.
Relatives are particularly concerned because they say they have not been told where he was taken or what offence he may have committed.
The family argues that if Omar is suspected of criminal activity, he should be presented before a court rather than held at an undisclosed location.
Yussuf also alleged that livestock disappeared during the security operation after gunfire caused panic in the area.
The family says Omar was taken on September 27, although the report’s account contains a date discrepancy that would require clarification.
Activists demand accountability
The case has drawn the attention of local human-rights activists, who are demanding greater transparency from security agencies operating in Hulugho.
Muktar Dahir Osman, chairman of the Garissa Human Rights Network, questioned why the authorities had allegedly not explained whether Omar was suspected of committing an offence.
Osman said relatives attempted to make reports at both Hulugho Police Station and Garissa Police Station, but alleged that their efforts were unsuccessful.
He called for Omar to either be released or taken before a court if authorities have evidence linking him to a crime.
Wider fears in the border region
Residents interviewed by The Standard described alleged disappearances in Hulugho as an increasingly worrying problem.
Mohamud Abass Burale, a Hulugho resident and family member, claimed that such incidents have become so common that residents have grown reluctant to question them.
The family also raised concerns about Mohamed Ahmed Noor, Omar’s cousin, whom they allege was taken away in May last year and has not been released.
The claims add to longstanding concerns about security, accountability and human-rights protections in communities along Kenya’s volatile border areas.
For Omar’s family, however, the immediate demand is straightforward: they want to know where he is.
If he has been detained in connection with a criminal investigation, they want authorities to disclose the grounds for his detention and follow due process.
If he has not been charged with an offence, the family is demanding his release.
The unanswered question now is where Siyad Abdi Omar is — and why his family has allegedly been left without information about his fate.
