Shaffi Sheikh Noor’s family demands answers four years after his abduction

The family of Shaffi Sheikh Noor is demanding answers five years after he was abducted by unidentified individuals moments after being acquitted of terror-related charges by a Garissa court.

As other previously missing persons resurface, Shaffi’s relatives are left in anguish, desperately seeking to know whether he is alive or dead.

Shaffi, by then a 21-year-old resident of Wajir, had recorded a video celebrating his release on December 29, 2021, unaware that it would be the last time his loved ones would hear from him. “I am happy to be going home today. I have been found not guilty,” he said in Somali in a clip seen by The Eastleigh Voice.

However, his joy was short-lived. As his family prepared to leave the Garissa courthouse, a Toyota Hilux double-cabin pickup truck blocked their vehicle.

Several men who had covered their faces with face masks suspected to be police officers forcibly took Shaffi away and sped off.

Speaking in Mombasa, his uncle Ahmed Noor recounted the events that led to his nephew’s arrest earlier that month.

"On December 4, 2021, Shaffi was at home in Wajir’s Shaleyetey area when his ex-girlfriend called him out of the blue, asking to meet. Although hesitant, he agreed and asked a male friend to accompany him," Noor said.

Upon reaching Wajir town, two white Land Cruisers intercepted them.

The men inside, who claimed to be police officers but wore no uniforms, demanded Shaffi’s identification, which he had left at home.

“They took him back to his grandmother’s house, searched the premises, then whisked him away, saying he would be questioned and released,” Ahmed recalled.

Shaffi was then transferred to Garissa Police Station by evening.

His cousin Abdillahi Yusuf who had received the news was waiting in Garissa stunned.

“We rushed to the police station, only to be told he had a case to answer in court the next day,” Abdillahi said.

Shaffi appeared in court on December 5 and was held in various stations, including Madogo Police Station, as police sought additional time for investigations.

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On December 29, 2021, he was finally acquitted and set free.

But before he could taste freedom, he was abducted outside the courthouse.

His family, witnessing the ordeal, reported the matter at Garissa Police Station under OB number 26/29/12/2021.

Despite relentless efforts, Shaffi’s family remains in the dark about his fate. They said they have combed through morgues and hospitals, even travelling to Yala when unidentified bodies were discovered in a river.

“We only want to know if he is alive. And if he is not, let them return his body so we can find peace,” Ahmed Noor pleaded, noting his mother, bedridden since his disappearance, still holds on to hope.

Jamila Ibrahim, a community representative mentioned it is unfair what the family is going through, urging the current administration to find a means and return their kin.

“We have seen others return, like Wajir MCA Yusuf Hussein. Why not Shaffi?” She asked.

Mohamed Abdi Noor called for accountability, questioning why Shaffi was abducted after being lawfully freed.

The family continues to demand the government’s intervention, urging authorities to provide answers about the whereabouts of their son, five years since he vanished without a trace.