Minister's guard kills officer attached to AG office in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - An ICT official attached to the office of Attorney General Suleiman Mohamed Mohamoud was on Saturday shot and killed in Mogadishu by a guard attached to Somalia's Justice minister, in an incident that police are currently investigating to establish the motive of the shooting.

Mohamed Abdulqadir Elmi was killed along the busy Makka Al-Mukarama within Mogadishu on Saturday evening after his vehicle was sprayed with bullets by the guard, and died on the spot according to residents who witnessed the horrific incident.

Abdirahman Ahmed, Director Planning and ICT, confirmed the tragic death but did not immediately reveal the probable reason behind the fatal shooting, which is now under active investigations by the police, who are trying to piece together evidence in connection with the incident.

"He was shot and killed instantly by a guard attached to the Justice minister. Until his death, he was working as one of the ICT officers within the office of the Attorney General. The shooting happened on Saturday evening in downtown Mogadishu," said the official.

The incident, police reports indicate, happened near the Tre-piano area in Mogadishu, which is considered as one of the safest points within the capital, which has been under the control of security forces for almost a decade, after it was liberated from Al-Shabaab militants.

Attorney General Suleiman Mohamed Mohamoud said the security guard has since been arrested and is currently being grilled as police try to establish the motive behind the killing. The suspect is one of the security officers guarding the justice minister, police reports confirmed.

The AG condoled with the family of the deceased and the staff workers, terming the death "unjust". He said the government will ensure "justice is served" in accordance with the law, adding that acts of lawlessness cannot be tolerated in the country.

“I would like to send my condolences to the family, relatives, and the staff at the Attorney General Chambers over the shocking death of Mohamed Abdulqadir Ilmi, who has unjustly killed in Mogadishu today," said the government legal advisor, who was appointed to the office early this year.

"Ilmi was one of the staff of the Attorney General’s office. His killer has been arrested and an investigation is ongoing," he noted, adding that the Criminal Investigation Department [CID] had taken over the matter for further assessment and prosecution.

Cases of insecurity in the Somali capital are nowadays common and government officers have been going ballistic against one another, further raising doubts the country's ability to maintain law and order once the foreign forces exit in the coming months.

Last week, there were clashes between government troops in HirShabelle over ownership of land. Somali security forces are recruited from among clan militia, a tradition that the government is keen to change, following the ongoing security reforms.

There are close to 22,000 African Union Mission troops in Somalia whose tenure expires in 2021. Some of the security forces in Somalia are also trained by the Turkish, Americans, and Britons, and the team is expected to assume security responsibilities once the foreign troops leave.

GAROWE ONLINE