The suspects behind interclan clashes in Banisa, Mandera County, remain in police custody for 14 more days as investigations continue.
Mandera Senior Resident Magistrate James Masiga on Friday permitted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to detain the four suspects at Mandera Police Station.
The suspects – Abbey Mohamed Omar, Rashid Noor Idris, Ahmed Osman Bulle (a teacher) and Muktar Rakaw Shobey (a teacher) – who were arrested on Wednesday, are accused of facilitating the dawn raid at Dohmal village that caused the deaths of nine people.
“Two respondents, who are teachers, are suspected of having incited and planned the killings that took place on October 1 at Dohmal; while the other two transported the assailants,” police officer Johnstone Kithanze, who is attached to DCI Banisa, said in an affidavit.
Mr Kithanze said the 14 days sought will be enough for him to record witness statements. “I need time to analyse the report from the cybercrime unit and have the spent cartridges collected at the scene analysed too,” he said.
State Counsel Allen Mulama said preliminary investigations indicated that Mr Omar and Mr Idris, first and second respondents respectively, jointly used a motorcycle to transport the attackers to Dohmal, arriving a day early.
Senior Resident Magistrate Masiga said it would be imprudent to release the suspects owing to the tension in the area.
The unrest on Tuesday and Wednesday at Dohmal and Qalan villages has claimed 11 lives. Mandera County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha had warned that no government official will be spared if linked to the crimes.