By Issa Hussein - Reporter
May 27, 2026 - Religious leaders in Garissa have raised concern over the increasing number of school-going children falling prey to human trafficking syndicates operating across East Africa and Libya.
Led by Sheikh Issack Abdullahi, the clerics urged parents, teachers and security agencies to intensify awareness campaigns and investigations to stem what they described as a growing crisis targeting teenagers.
Speaking during Eidul Adha prayers attended by hundreds of Muslims at the Retired General Mohamud Eid Grounds in Garissa Town, Sheikh Abdullahi said the region was witnessing a disturbing rise in cases of missing schoolchildren suspected to have been trafficked.
“The saddest part is when traffickers share videos of missing children as they torture them and demand millions of shillings from parents for their release,” he said.
He urged parents and teachers to educate teenagers on the dangers of human trafficking and fake promises of jobs abroad.
The cleric also called on security agencies to launch a major crackdown on trafficking networks believed to be operating across Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Libya.
His remarks come amid growing anxiety in Garissa following the circulation of a distressing video on social media showing three Grade 10 girls from Iftin Primary and Junior Secondary School allegedly being held captive in Libya by traffickers locally referred to as “Magafes”.
Related articles
In the video, the girls appealed to their parents to urgently raise ransom money to secure their release.
The concerns were further heightened after Yathrib Primary School head teacher Osman Dure disclosed that 15 pupils from the school were missing and feared to have fallen into the hands of traffickers.
Garissa resident Osman Mohamed Baraktle blamed peer pressure and deceptive recruitment tactics for the rising cases.
“Traffickers use schoolchildren to lure unsuspecting teenagers by promising them jobs overseas. Once they agree, they are linked to criminal networks that facilitate their travel to Libya, where they end up trapped in the hands of ruthless gangs,” he said.
The religious leaders called for urgent government intervention, tighter surveillance along suspected smuggling routes and the arrest of all those involved in the trafficking ring.
Ad
Ad