- The latest such incidents happened on the Bura-Garissa road where four road engineers were killed Wednesday, January 11 after their vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device.
- Police said the wanted individuals are also linked to similar previous attacks that were witnessed in Lamu and other parts of the country.
The National Police Service is appealing to members of the public to share any information that may lead to the arrest of five al Shabaab terror suspects linked to the latest attacks in Lamu.
Up to 10 people have been killed in the attacks this year alone, amid fears, there are more planned such incidents.
The latest such incidents happened on the Bura-Garissa road where four road engineers were killed Wednesday, January 11 after their vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device.
Police said the wanted individuals are also linked to similar previous attacks that were witnessed in Lamu and other parts of the country.
“The information can be shared to Fichua kwa DCI, call toll-free hotline 0800722203 to report anonymously,” a police brief said.
The first wanted man is Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir aka Ikrima
According to police, Ikrima is a close associate of al Shabaab's top leaders and previously worked under Harun Fazul, Abdi Godane, Salim Saleh Swaleh Nabhan who are all former leaders.
He has risen through the ranks to a position of coordinating external attacks directed at countries within the Horn of Africa.
At one time he was appointed as the liaison between fighters from Arabian Peninsula from Yemen and al Shabaab in Somalia.
According to police, he is directly associated with the 2010 Kampala attack, Westgate and world Cup attacks in Uganda and Kenya.
He has previously travelled to Mombasa, Nairobi and North Eastern region.
He is a dual citizen of Somalia and Norway.
Maalim Ayman is the head of the al Shabaab’s Jaysh Ayman wing that operates within the Lacta belt area.
The Jaysh Ayman is responsible for attacks within the Boni enclave including the Baure and Mpeketoni attacks and the IEDs attacks along the routes within the LAPSSET corridor connecting Garissa and Lamu counties.
According to police, he is also linked to the Manda Bay Airfield attack of 2020 and the US government has set Sh1.2 billion bounty for information leading to his arrest.
Mohamud Abdi Aden aka Mohamed Yare
Mohamed Yare was a resident of Garissa and Nairobi’s Fedha Estate before travelling to join al-Shabaab in 2013.
He is linked to the previous foiled attacks in the country before his arrest in 2014 for collecting information to facilitate attacks in Nairobi.
He was released from jail in 2017 and thereafter travelled back to Somalia to continue with terrorist activities, police say.
At the moment, Yare is among the team that is coordinating attacks in Boni enclave.
Ramadhan Kioko aka Pinji aka Abu Nuseiba
He is a Kenyan from Majengo in Nairobi who was recruited into violent extremism by Ahmed Iman who is a former al Shabaab leader who was responsible for propaganda and recruitment of Kenyan youth from Majengo.
Ramadhan joined al Shabaab in 2008 and currently, he is a member of Jaysh Ayman group.
Police say he was part of the team that conducted attacks on Baure security camp in June 2015 within Lamu.
He is also part of the team deployed to carry out attacks in Boni enclave targeting the LAPSSET corridor and security installations.
Abdullahi Bulati aka Abdullahi Banati aka Mustafa
Abdullahi is a commander of al Shabaab militants deployed to the expansive Boni forest that straddles Garissa and Lamu counties in Kenya and Somalia.
Banati hailed from Ngumu Village within Tana River before joining al Shabaab in Somalia.
He is linked with numerous criminal and terror activities including poaching, and mining/supplying IEDs that are used to mine routes connecting Lamu and Garissa.
Police say he is armed, dangerous and believed to be behind the current al Shabaab activities within Ziwa La Taa, Pandanguo and Bodhei areas within Lamu.
Police spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango said security agencies are determined to have a safe society and appealed for information that will lead to the arrest of the individuals.
“We need public cooperation to win this war,” she said.
Kenyan troops are in Somalia to help in fighting al Shabaab terror group. The troops went to Somalia in October 2011.
Kenya's incursion into southern Somalia started after the kidnapping of two Spanish women, who were working for MSF at the Dadaab refugee camp.
The abductions were carried out by the militants who the troops planned to push away under Operation Linda Nchi.
Two years later, the troops managed to take control of Kismayo port under Operation Sledge Hammer.