This archive report was first published on 26 August 2020.
On August 13, 2020, dozens of police officers stormed the home of Abubakar Kalama in Mtongwe, Likoni, and whisked him away. His sister, Pilly Hassan, described the scene as chaotic, with armed officers in combat gear and masks ransacking the house and bundling her brother into a waiting car.
The other three imams, Khalid Saleh, Juma Shamte, and Hassan Ouma, were taken away from their homes in Mtondia area, Kilifi County. Saleh was the director and manager of Markaz Noor Madrassa, Shamte was a teacher, and Ouma was a gardener.
Coast Region Police Boss Gabriel Musau denied any police involvement in the alleged abductions, stating that the families had lodged a report of a robbery where unknown people broke into their homes and stole mobile phones and tablets.
“How can police officers abduct people? Those were thugs who forced their way and stole mobile phones and other properties... Our regional DCI is leading the investigations alongside other officers, but the police are not involved in the abduction,” Musau said.
