By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
22 April 2026 - A visibly shaken Abdi Mohamud has recounted the terrifying moments he fled the scene of a fellow taxi driver’s killing while still in handcuffs, describing the incident as a frightening escape.
Speaking to journalists at Garissa police station, Mohamud, who is also a taxi driver plying the Garissa-Dadaab route, claimed that police had initially rammed his vehicle from behind before stopping him.
He narrated how he had called his friend Aden Mohamed Hassan, who is now deceased, to come and assist him.
He said that immediately his friend stepped out of the vehicle, he was shot.
“When he came out of his vehicle, the police said ‘wewe ndiye tulikuwa tunataka’ (we were looking for you) before shooting him point blank in the head,” he said.
Mohamud explained that by the time his friend arrived at the scene, the police had already handcuffed him.
Amid the confusion and fear, he managed to run away still wearing the police handcuffs.
The 22-year-old taxi driver said he witnessed his friend being shot in the face at point-blank range by an officer he claimed he knew by name.
During a press briefing with leaders and protesters near Garissa police station, Mohamud, who was still in handcuffs, appeared visibly shaken and often avoided eye contact.
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He wore a face mask, which was later removed when he was taken to meet the county police commander, where local political leaders were holding a meeting with the police chief.
Leaders expressed fury over the incident, arguing that the police handcuffs clearly suggested the police had a hand in the shocking murder of the taxi driver.
Two months ago, another taxi driver was killed in controversial circumstances, with local leaders again blaming the police. The police, however, maintained that his death was the result of an accident.
The North Eastern Regional Police Commander, John Nzioka Matasi, said they had already handed over the case to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which has started investigations into what transpired.
Local activists demanding the arrest of the officer, identified only as Chalo, have been sharing his images online.
They claim the officer had previously committed a similar offence in Balambala before being transferred to Garissa.