The family of a 20-year-old pregnant woman who went missing on Thursday has sought Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet’s help in finding their kin.
Eight months pregnant Saida Abdulrahman was supposed to board a matatu from Mombasa to Malindi where she was to take a flight to Lamu on Thursday evening.
She has not been seen since then, her brother Akirima Mohamed told the Star on Saturday. The woman was to be in Lamu in wait for her due date.
The family said the woman used her phone to call an uncle at around 8pm with information she had been abducted and did not know where she was.
The abductors reportedly sent text messages to Saida's husband Mohamed Abdulrahman using their hostage's phone saying she had bled to death.
"They even took photos of her lying on the floor in a wrapper but we believe that she was still alive by the time they took that photo," Akirima said.
The phone signal was last traced to Gulshan area, less than three kilometres from Saida’s home in Mvita.
"The police, however, told us the call was made from Sawe in Mtito Andei. They then later told us the phone had been traced to Nairobi," Akirima said.
He said Saida had received a call from their mother, who is in Lamu, at around 11am asking her to hurry up so she could receive her at the Manda Airstrip.
"Our sister then boarded a Tuk tuk to Buxton where she was to take a matatu to Malindi. At around 1.30pm, my mum called her again but her phone was off," Akirima said.
The woman's husband, upon inquiry at Buxton, was told no pregnant woman was seen at the stage. "It was at this time that we started sensing something was wrong."
The matter was reported at the Makupa police station. Saida and Abdulrahman were expecting their first child.
Muslims for Human Rights chairman Khelef Khalifa accused the police of putting the life of the 20-year-old in danger by their slow response.
"The family came to us saying they were frustrated by an officer at Makupa police station who told them to go to the Dog Section for help in tracking Saida’s phone."
The MUHURI chairman asked the police to act fast and help save the woman's life.
"We only got help from the DCIO at Urban who helped us trace the woman's phone signal. The other officers have not been very helpful," said Khalifa.
Muhuri rapid response officer Francis Auma said: "I strongly believe Saida’s life is in danger and the police should act faster to save her."
Mombasa county police commander Johnston Ipara said police are following crucial leads on the case.
"We have called several of our colleagues to help us in finding where the lady is," Ipara told the Star on the phone.
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