Five chiefs were yesterday morning ambushed and kidnapped by suspected terrorists in Elwak, Mandera County, as they were going to plan coverage of President William Ruto’s visit to the area this week.

Police and witnesses said the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs), who included four chiefs and an assistant  were travelling in a silver Alto Wagon  reg. no. KDC 128C to Elwak at around 8.15 am when they were hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki.

The chiefs are said to have been on their way form Wagadud to Elwak, both  in Mandera Central South  to participate in the vetting of applicants of national identity cards when they were seized by heavily armed militia numbering about 40.

Police later identified the chiefs as Hassan Kulmia (Chief Wargadud East location), Mohamed Hache (Chachabole location), Adaw Mohamed ( Wargadud Town ), Ibrahim Gabow (Assistant chief Wargadud East sub-location) and Abdi Suraw ( Quramathow location).

The militants are said to have blindfolded the chiefs and took control of their vehicle, before driving it in the direction of Lafey and past the border into Somalia.

Sources told the People Daily that the militia hurled bombs at local security officers who attempted to pursue them, completely damaging their vehicle. No officer was injured.

The officer further disclosed that since the captured chiefs were members of the Garre community that spreads over across the border, a team of local elders has been dispatched to Somalia to negotiate for their release.

Mandera South police commander Julius Njeru confirmed the attack and said the administrators were travelling from Wargadud to Elwak town for duty, and had not been traced.

Police sources told People Daily that there had some intelligence reports since last year of the threats by the Al Shabaab militia to attack and abduct government officers in the area.

President Ruto is expected to tour the northern region this week where he is expected to, among other things, hold a Cabinet meeting in the neighbouring Garissa County.

The president will also visit Isiolo, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir and Garissa Counties during that period.

A major joint security operation was launched following the incident with reports indicating that the armed attackers crossed over to the neighbouring Somalia immediately after the attack.

The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border and has been prone to such attacks.

On December 9 last year, alshabaab militants also shot dead a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer in Lafey, Mandera county before they hijacked a vehicle which they used to escape from the scene after the attack.

They threw away the body of the deceased as they were escaping to the neighbouring country. Police also said a passenger who was in the car, Muhumed Bashir who is a pump attendant at a local fuel station, was taken away by the gunmen but he was later found abandoned in the bushes with serious injuries.

Several other residents who reside behind the Lafey police post were also in the hospital after getting fragments by stray bullets after the incident in town.