A family in Garissa county is devastated following the alleged abduction of their 52-year-old brother, Abdulrahman Omar Sheikh.

Abdulrahman was reportedly abducted on Friday, May 9, while travelling from Nairobi to Garissa.

The family explained that Abdulrahman had boarded a taxi with six other passengers when unidentified armed men intercepted the vehicle in Ukasi, Kitui county. The gunmen, who were allegedly carrying weapons, arrived in two Toyota Prado SUVs.

Abdulrahman’s brother, Abdirizak Omar Sheikh, claimed that the unknown assailants forced his brother and another passenger of Somali origin out of the vehicle, leaving the remaining four occupants unharmed.

He shared that the two men were beaten and blindfolded before being bundled into the waiting vehicles.

“We were told the men were armed and wearing masks. They were brutal — hitting the victims with their guns before driving off with them. I doubt these were mere thieves; they spent nearly 20 minutes assaulting them before taking them away,” said Abdirizak in a report by TV47.

Moreover, the abductors allegedly veered off the main road and threw the second victim out of the moving vehicle and into a bush.

It was this survivor who later informed Abdulrahman’s family of what had transpired.

“My big brother has been taken. We don’t know where he is or how to find him,” said the man’s sister.

Abdirizak noted that his brother, a contractor with an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), had never mentioned receiving any threats to his life or being involved in any disputes.

"We have searched for him allover, nobody is telling us where he is. Please give us back our brother, he has never wronged anyone, has never been arrested, has no criminal record, so where did they take him," Abdirizak lamented while holding his tears.

The family said they had reported the matter to police stations in both Kitui and Garissa, but no significant action had been taken to trace their missing relative.

They are now calling on the government to intervene and assist in locating Abdulrahman.

“We don’t know why he was abducted. We are appealing to the government to take action and help secure the release of our brother,” said Muna Omar, Abdulrahman’s sister.

In other news, reported that a family in Bomet called for justice after their relative, who was allegedly abducted, was found dead.

Wesley Kipkemoi Bett, a 35-year-old carpenter, reportedly went missing for several days before his body was discovered in the Mau Forest.

Kipkemoi’s family has called on the government to expedite the investigation and bring those responsible for his death to justice.

Source: TUKO.co.ke