MUHURI Demands Police IG To Produce Abducted Ambulance Driver

The disappearance of an ambulance driver in Lamu County after what is believed to be abduction by people suspected of being police officers has now forced Lobby groups to demand justice for the family. – By Ramadhan Kambi.

Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) has moved to Malindi High Court to seek ‘habeas corpus’ order to demand Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai produce the driver whether ‘dead or alive’. 

There are reports that the driver was abducted by police at Mkunumbi area along Lamu Island- Mpeketoni Road last month. 

According to MUHURI Rapid Response officer Francis Auma said they sought habeas corpus order after the family of the ‘abducted’ driver-Yasir Mahmoud Ahmed failed to find him in mortuary, hospitals, Lamu and Mpeketoni Police stations since his abduction on June 19 this year. 

“We have been following this case as MUHURI since his abduction last month and we have enough evidence that the abductors were police officers,” he told journalists after filling the case at Malindi High Court, adding

“We have witnesses to the abduction case which occurred in a broad daylight.” 

Mr Auma said the human right organisation is currently handling two ‘habeas corpus’ cases of people suspected to have been abducted by police in Lamu and Mombasa Counties. 

The purpose for Habeas Corpus is to relieve a person from unlawful restraint. It is a remedy intended to determine whether the person under detention is held under lawful authority. 

“The cases include one for Ahmed and another one for Bakari Mwanyota Mbwana who was abducted in Mombasa, such cases have been on the rise and more interesting about these cases is that police are said to be behind the abductions,” he added. 

The officer further said the orders before the court demand the Lamu OCS, Mpeketoni OCS and Lamu County directorate of criminal investigation (DCI) to produce Mr Ahmed before the High Court.  

“Ahmed is a trader and an ambulance driver in Lamu. So far, he does not have any criminal record and police should have taken him to court to answer charges as required by law, in case where they accuse him of committing criminal offences,” he added. 

Athman Mohamed Bwana, a family friend and a resident of Lamu who accompanied MUHURI in court urged the court to speed up the case to enable the family get justice.  

In a written affidavit filed before the High court, Mrs Yumna Ali Salim, the wife of the abducted driver states that three armed men wearing masks and security outfits alighted from a GK land cruiser after intercepting their vehicle a few Kilometers from Mkunumbi Township and abducted her husband. 

“That they then ordered me, my son and a passenger to alight from the car, they then took my husband’s driving licence from me and commanded us to walk ahead without looking behind with a warning that they will shoot us if we disobey,” states the affidavit.  

Mrs Salim said they later turned to look back after walking for some distance only to find that the three-armed men with the GK land cruiser had disappeared with his husband leaving their car in the middle of the road. 

“My son moved the car and parked it by the roadside and we boarded a public service vehicle to complete our journey to Lamu,” she states adding “Since then, I have not heard from my husband, his phone has been switched off and his whereabouts remain unknown.” 

She said her family and relatives have been looking for his husband and even reported the case at Lamu Police Station under OB NO 31/19/06/2021and Mpeketoni Police Station under OB NO 16/20/06/2021 but they are still unable to locate him.