Wednesday December 14, 2022
Elias Abdulhamid in custody in Diani. POLICE HANDOUT
Nairobi (HOL) - Police in Kenya are investigating a Canadian national with suspected terror links who was allegedly planning to sneak into Somalia to join the Al Qaeda-linked militant insurgent group Al Shabaab.
Elias Abdulhamid, a Canadian citizen, was apprehended at the Kenya-Tanzania border near Lunga Lunga while attempting to enter the country.
Anti-terror police officers in Diani have asked the court to detain Abdulhamid for 20 days to complete their investigation, which Chief Magistrate Lilian Lewa granted.
Police said they need more time to thoroughly investigate the suspect, including verifying his name, citizenship, and criminal history with INTERPOL and the Canadian government.
"We need more time to interrogate the respondent since we believe him to have been radicalized into jihadist and extremist beliefs," read the application.
The police said his past associations with terror groups led them to believe he was still active in militant operations.
"Recent intelligent reports indicate that the respondent was arrested in Egypt in 2019 while trying to join ISIS terrorist group," the police stated. Abdulhamid also attempted unlawful entry into the US but was turned away.
"Abdulhamid was travelling to Somalia," Rosemary Nandi from the office of the director of public prosecutions informed the court.
She added Abdulhmid planned to join the Al Shabaab terrorist organization as a trainer and eventually carry out terror operations in Kenya and Ethiopia.
According to Kenya Police, Abdulhamid said he was cleared of previous terror accusations in Egypt and the US due to a lack of evidence. However, he also asked the Kenyan authorities not to deport him to Canada because he is wanted for terror-related activities.
The Diani Court will continue hearing this case on January 3.