Eight suspects directly linked to the hijacking of a bus that left ten people dead on December 6 along Kotulo-Wargadud road have been arrested by police in Wajir.
Reports from the police according to The Standard indicate that the suspects might be from Marehan Clan whose origin is in Somalia.
The police said that the gang collude with some residents to extort money from businesspersons and individuals then they escape to Somalia.
“The criminals are led by some locals who want to benefit from the loot. These locals have been leading the group in identifying the targets of the extortion, which include businesses, buses, and livestock owners,” the police statement read in part as quoted by Standard.
The Marehan militia is said to be terrorising the residents and their recent crime was on December 18 where they appalled road construction workers.
"The Marehan militia kidnapped locals that were undertaking road construction at Khorof Harar-Konton road. They hijacked the Toyota Hilux KBL 463 L and a road grading tractor to move the abductees across the border,” the police statement further said.
The leader of the gang has been identified by police as Issac Okolla who had informed the Degodia clan to pay taxes to prevent further attacks.
Currently, the police are targeting the families of the said criminals because they are believed to be hiding the suspects and offer a helping hand in their criminal activities.