Police arrest wife of terror suspect

By Cyrus Ombati

Police investigating the grenade attacks at the Machakos Country Bus station have arrested the wife of one of the suspects once held over his alleged links with the Al Shabaab.

Husna Ali Shaaban, the wife of Hussein Nderitu Abbas alias Mohamed was arrested by detectives from Anti-Terror Police Unit for undisclosed reasons. But insiders revealed they are still probing last Saturday’s blast that claimed nine lives and left more than 60 wounded.

Ms Shaaban was arrested from their city house and taken to the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) where she was being grilled for the better part of the day.

"She is being grilled by the officers and we are yet to know why," said Abbas’s lawyer Chacha Mwita.

Abbas’s picture together with that of Sylvester Opiyo were last December circulated by police who said they wanted to grill them.

The two later surrendered to police who questioned them before setting them free. By then, terror threats were rife and high and police were following intelligence that could help deter any attacks.

Opiyo and three other minors reported back at ATPU Friday as directed by police. They had been arrested on Sunday, a day after the blast and grilled for three days.

The others were identified as Swaleh Ali, 13, Mustafa Gathogo, 14, and Victor Otieno, 16.

According to Mr Mwita, Swaleh was due to join Form One while Otieno is already in Form One in one of the city schools.

The four were arrested in Umoja estate as they moved household goods into a new house.