A family in Maili Nne, Eldoret, has been granted a long-awaited reprieve after learning that their relative, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim, presumed dead for nearly a decade, is alive and in captivity.
Captured in Alshabab Attack
Ibrahim, who was believed to have died during the 2016 Alshabab attack on the KDF camp in El Adde, appeared in a viral video pleading for assistance from the Kenyan government. Dressed in a KDF uniform, he disclosed that he had been held hostage in Somalia for nine years.
The news has reopened old wounds for Ibrahim’s family, who had accepted his presumed death after receiving a death certificate from the KDF. His daughter, Kadra Abdullahi, revealed that she first heard from her father a month before the video surfaced. She recounted a phone call from Somalia, where the caller identified himself as her father, leaving her both shocked and skeptical.
“I asked for proof, and he promised a photo or video would come through their media,” Kadra explained, noting the immense emotional toll this revelation has brought to their family.
Ibrahim’s family is now urging the Kenyan government to intervene, stating that his captors are willing to communicate directly with authorities to facilitate his release. They hope that action will be taken swiftly to reunite them with their loved one after years of uncertainty and grief.
The case highlights the enduring impact of the El Adde attack and the long-term consequences for families affected by the tragedy.