Wajir governor threatens legal action against MCA Hassan for linking him to his abduction

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi speaking to the press at a hotel. He was accompanied by a host of leaders from the County.

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi on Sunday said he will not rest until the Dela/Anole ward representative Yussuf Hassan provides proof of the allegations he made linking him to his abduction ordeal.

On Saturday, at a press briefing, the MCA who was released by his abductors on March 9, claimed that his abduction was orchestrated and executed by the governor of Wajir.

The MCA, who was not accompanied by any of his colleagues,  further claimed that his strong stand against the county’s 2024 budget led to his abduction and torture, noting that it was passed while he was in captive.

“My experience and interaction with my abductors all had the finger prints and influence of Wajir governor his excellency Ahmed Abdullahi,”  he said.

But in a quick rejoinder, a visibly angry governor Abdullahi strongly refuted the allegations terming them unfounded propaganda orchestrated by a political rival aiming to tarnish his reputation and gain political relevance.

According to the CoG chair, individuals who are worried about their political survival and his influence in Wajir politics come 2027 are the ones capitalising on the MCA's situation.

“The people of Wajir know what is going on, they know that statement was just meant to malign me in Nairobi especially now that I'm CoG chair and a few people who didn't know me before are now getting to know me by virtue of that position. It was meant for national audience just to malign me,” he said.

Abdullahi was flanked by a group of leaders from the county including MCAs led by Assembly speaker Yussuf Abdille.

He said that he does not support abductions in any way, saying his record on the same is well known.

“I will not rest until Yussuf provides proof of the allegations he made, or pays for what he said in a court of law. Because I know for a fact the person who is sending him cannot say those things about me. He is just being as a pawn in a bigger political game,” Abdullahi said.

He also highlighted the ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding MCA Ahmed’s alleged abduction, urging the Inspector General of Police to ensure the MCA’s safety.

“My fear now is two things: Some deranged persons can be sent to endanger my life and use that as an excuse. Someone can also take out Yussuf. I share a political space with people who can easily do that. But I repeat once again that I will never harm anybody for politics,”  he said.

Speaking on behalf of Wajir and Mandera leaders, Wajir East MP Adan Daud condemned the MCA’s allegations linking the governor on his six-month abduction ordeal, describing the claims as both barbaric and reckless.

“We feel for the MCA and the harrowing incident that he has gone through for six months. We also condemn his arrest and disappearance. And we are asking the investigative agencies to expediate the investigation and bring the perpetrators to book,” he said.

He added: “However we have deliberated on his statement and as a community we feel that that was wrong. The accusations he made were unfounded. Going forward we are going to resolve that issue through both legal means and through our own social structures."

The event was attended by, Wajir Senator Abass Shiekh Mohamed, Mandera North MP Bashir Abdullahi, Eldas MP Adan Keynan, Wajir Women representatives, Fatuma Jehow, Mandera County Deputy Governor Dr Ali Mohamed , Nominated MP Suleka Harun, and Wajir county Speaker Abdille Yussuf Mohamed among others.