Four years after the abduction of Shaffi Noor outside a Garissa court, his family continues to endure an agonizing wait for answers about his whereabouts. Shaffi, who was 21 at the time, was seized by suspected Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) officers on December 29, 2021, shortly after being acquitted of terror-related charges.
According to his family, the young man had just been freed by a Garissa magistrate when masked officers believed to be the same ones who had taken him to court grabbed him outside the courtroom and disappeared with him.
“The magistrate had declared him innocent, but the officers who had brought him to court took him away. There were about four of them, all masked because of Covid-19 regulations at the time,” said Ahmed Noor, Shaffi’s uncle.
Shaffi had been linked to al-Shabaab due to a phone connection with a woman he had fallen in love with while working as a taxi driver in Wajir. The woman, unbeknownst to him, was a Shabaab bride seeking a phone and Safaricom line. Shaffi had bought and registered the line in his name, a decision that ultimately led to his arrest.
Four years later, his family continues to live in distress, holding onto the ever-diminishing hope of finding him alive. They have traveled to multiple locations, including River Yala and Shakahola, where bodies have been found, hoping to locate his remains for burial, but to no avail.
His mother’s health has deteriorated due to the emotional toll of the ordeal. “She has not been eating or sleeping well since her son was taken,” said Ahmed.
The family also expressed frustration with politicians who used Shaffi’s case to gain votes in Wajir but abandoned the issue after winning their elective seats.
Encouraged by recent cases of abducted individuals resurfacing, including a Wajir MCA who was released after four months, they are appealing to President William Ruto to intervene.
“We strongly believe Shaffi is in the hands of security agencies. We urge the president to ensure his release,” said Mama Jamila, a relative.
