How escaped Kamiti terrorism convicts were netted

Musharaf Abdalla, Mohamed Abdi Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo who escaped from Kamiti Prison on Monday, November 15.

On Tuesday, November 16, Chief Endau Alphia Musembi reported that elders in his area had seen three suspicious characters in Endau Location who had been dropped by a matatu, The Standard can report.

According to reliable sources, the chief was further informed that the fugitives had boarded a bodaboda from Endau to a place called Kalungu.

The chopper that ferried the three convicted terrorists back to Kamiti prison after they escaped on Monday.

Standard Digital has learnt that on Wednesday, November 18, Chief Malalani Elijah Kisilu reported that the fugitives were spotted at Twambui market where they bought bread and milk at around 9.00 pm.

On the same day, a shopkeeper identified his customers as the men whose pictures had been published in newspapers.

In the evening of Wednesday, the trio was spotted at Kitumbini village in Makuka sub-location and the local assistant chief dully informed.

On Thursday, November 18 morning the assistant chief, the local chief, and Kenya police reservists arrested one of the escapees.

Two escaped but the reservists did not give up, arresting them two hours later.

Terror suspects Joseph Juma Odhiambo, Mohamed Abdi Ali Abikar and Musharaf Abdalla Alias Shukri vanished from Kamiti Maximum Security in what former Commissioner General of Police Wycliffe Ogallo could only describe as an “unfortunate incident.”

Immediately, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) placed a Sh60 million bounty - Sh20 million for each of the three - for any information leading to their arrest.

Initial reports also indicated that prison authorities suspected foul play, with guards on duty being questioned.

Abikar was on June 2019 convicted, alongside two others for the 2015 Garissa University terror attack that killed 148 people among them three members of security forces and three university guards. The rest of the victims were hapless university students.

Abikar, alongside another Kenyan- Hassan Aden Hassan- was sentenced to serve 41 years’ prison sentence while their third Tanzanian accomplice Rachid Charles Mberesero was sentenced to life in prison. Unlike his colleagues, Mberesero had been arrested at the scene of the massacre that shook the whole world.

In November last year, Mberesero committed suicide at the same prison, according to a police report.

“He committed suicide at around 1520hrs at his ward (Block H) using an improvised rope from a blanket. The deceased was a psychiatrist patient and was on medication,” a police report at the time read.

The incident surprised many given the convict was a high profile convict on constant watch of the guards.