Police seize explosives in Wajir cemetery

By Bosire Boniface in Wajir

October 05, 2012

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Police in Wajir District discovered a cache of hidden weapons at the Ahmed Liban Cemetery on Thursday (October 4th) after the local community reported suspicious activity in the area.

  • Bomb experts dig up a cache of weapons at Ahmed Liban Cemetery in Wajir. Security officials lauded residents for leading them to the weapons. [Bosire Boniface/Sabahi]

    Bomb experts dig up a cache of weapons at Ahmed Liban Cemetery in Wajir. Security officials lauded residents for leading them to the weapons. [Bosire Boniface/Sabahi]

Wajir County Commissioner Naftali Mungathia told Sabahi that police found explosives and other equipment at 13 different sites around the cemetery. "The weapons were assembled and ready for use," he said.

Police seized a hand grenade, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 22 bomb detonators, nine motorbike batteries, three improvised explosive devices and 10 remote controls. There were also 250 bullets, seven Nokia mobile phones, two hammers, two chisels, and a maze of electrical wires.

An investigation is still under way and no one has yet been arrested, he said.

Police discovered the weapons after children spotted suspicious activities at the cemetery, according to Wajir District police chief James Mutungi.

"At first, the information we received pointed to a group of people desecrating graves. However, when officers visited the place, they spotted several electrical wires sprouting from the graves," he told Sabahi.

Police officers from the anti-bomb squad used landmine detectors to locate and remove the explosives, he said. The entire cemetery was confirmed to be free of weapons on Friday.

Mutungi urged residents to remain calm, adding that investigators will be surveying other local cemeteries to ensure there are no explosives.

Minister of State for Development in Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands Mohamed Elmi hailed the community for alerting the police about the suspicious activities at the cemetery, counselling citizens to continue their collaboration with authorities.

"The community has foiled a possibly grisly attack in Wajir town and that is the level of co-operation and vigilance we would like the community to maintain," Elmi told Sabahi.

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Reader's Comments

  • axmed
    October 7, 2012 @ 02:46:26AM

    My name is Ahmad and I live in Hargeisa. If I express my opinion, I would like to know if the new government can do something about these issues. Thank you. Ahmad.

  • joseph agaki
    October 6, 2012 @ 07:57:34AM

    Congratulations to the citizens for giving useful information.

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