Police recover firearms, ammunition in Garissa

Saturday, November 16, 2013

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Kenyan police on Wednesday recovered four AK 47 riffles, 65 rounds of ammunition and 3 empty magazines in the border town of Garissa near Somalia.

Garissa County Criminal Investigation commander Musa Yego said the weapons were recovered by police acting on a tip-off from members of the public.

“We had received information that four Kenyans youths who were formerly militia men operating in Raskamboni in Somalia but later defected to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia had been spotted in Damajaley location while armed with the weapons,” said Yego.

He said police acted swiftly and found the weapons abandoned in a deserted house.

Yego who said no arrest had so far been made, adding that they were following up on crucial leads that will help arrest the militia men.

“We are optimistic that we will arrest these criminals, we believe they are just hiding somewhere within the location and have not crossed over to Somalia,” said Yego.

He asked members of the public to volunteer any information that will help arrest them. It is not clear where the weapons were destined to or where they were to be used to carry out an attack.

The village, which sits a few kilometers from the Kenya-Somalia border, was in the news early this year when Al-Shabaab militia attacked a police post.

The militia then killed five police officers and a local primary teacher. They also abducted two police officers whom they are still holding to date.

The recovery of the weapons has caused panic in the remote village with the locals fearing that militias might be planning to unleash at attack.

“Who knows what these people are planning for us, their presence in our village is not good news at all, the government should move fast and enhance security before we hear of deaths,” said Abdi Mahat a local.

The East African nation has been at a verge of terrorism threats by Islamist extremists allied to Al-Shaabab and Al-Qaida militia after Kenya forces took control of the insurgents’ stronghold in Somalia.

The recent terror at Westgate mall in Kenya Nairobi capital that left at least 67 civilians dead and dozens wounded were blamed on the militants from neighboring Somalia.

But the government has said security has been put on high alert to combat further terror across the country.

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