GARISSA – Unknown Gunmen on Sunday abducted a motorist in Garissa County, leaving behind his four stranded children in the vehicle he was driving.
Mr. Abdirahman Omar Sheikh was en route to Nairobi with his children when the incident occurred.
According to a police report, the family was ambushed near a petrol station when a white vehicle suddenly emerged and rammed into Omar’s Toyota Harrier.
Moments later, a second vehicle arrived and blocked their car.
Eyewitness accounts from the children, as relayed to the police, according to the Standard Newspaper indicated that armed men alighted from the white car, forcibly pulled their father from the driver’s seat, and dragged him into their vehicle.
Two of the suspects then took control of Omar’s car and drove off for a short distance before abandoning it — with the children still inside.
The shaken children managed to contact their uncle, who swiftly alerted the security agencies about the incident.
Police sources told the Standard Newspaper that authorities have launched investigations into the abduction and are pursuing leads to track down the gunmen and rescue Mr. Omar. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward.
The United States government issued a renewed alert warning to its citizens in March against traveling to parts of northeastern Kenya, including Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Tana River counties, citing increasing threats of terrorism, kidnapping, and violent attacks.
The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has reiterated the need for heightened vigilance among its citizens and advised those in Kenya to stay updated through local media and official government sources.
The embassy further encouraged travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive real-time alerts and make it easier to locate them in an emergency.
