Relatives and friends of Sheikh Ali Bahero outside Jocham Hospital where he was taken after he was attacked and injured by youths who accused him of teaching ideologies that they did not support. Police are looking for the youths who escaped after the attack. PHOTO/KEVIN ODIT. NATION
By WINNIE ATIENO
Friday, March 14, 2014
Police in Mombasa County have launched a manhunt for suspected radicalised youths who attacked a Muslim cleric and a private school principal in Majengo area.
They accused the cleric of teaching ideologies that went contrary to their expectations.
The youths who numbered about 40 and who were armed with crude weapons including stones and knives pounced on the Sheikh Thursday morning and started berating him.
The school principal who tried to rescue him was also attacked.
According to Mombasa OCPD, Geoffrey Mayek, police received information that there was a fracas at Gateway Academy and on arrival they found Sheikh Ali Bahero who had been assaulted by the youths.
RUSHED TO HOSPITAL
Mr Mayek said the Sheikh was rushed to Jocham Hospital where he is undergoing treatment but added that he was in a stable condition.
He said the youths who were on foot later escaped but police have since launched investigations to establish who they were and their motives.
“At around 8.30am we received information that there was some fracas going on at Gateway Academy. We sent officers to establish what was going on.
On arrival they found the Sheikh who had been assaulted by the about 40 youths accusing him of teaching different ideologies from what they expected to be taught,” said the OCPD
“So far no arrests have been made as the youths escaped but we have launched investigations into the matter. We will also record a statement from the Sheikh soon as is able to communicate to us,” he added.
He however said that there was no evidence so far to connect the incident with recent chaos witnessed in Mombasa.
RADICALISED
We suspect that the youths who assaulted Sheikh Bahero are radicalised but it would be premature for me to connect them to Masjid Musa chaos. Once we arrest them then we will do the profiling and compare them with the other youths we had previously arrested,” the OCPD said.
The Sheikh teaches at Madrasa Fathil Adhym and another one in Kisauni.
In January, 2011, Sheikh Ali Bahero was held by the anti-terrorism police in Mombasa and interrogated in connection with alleged recruitment of local youths for the al-Shabaab insurgents in neighbouring Somalia.
He was questioned before being released.
The officers pounced on Sheikh Bahero at Bakarani Mosque shortly after evening prayers and took him to the Coast provincial police headquarters.
Sheikh Bahero, who was being held for the second time for the same charges, is alleged to have recorded a CD urging local youths to support their counterparts in Somalia.
In an interview shortly after he was released, he denied he was urging youths to support al-Shabaab.
Meanwhile police have launched a manhunt for armed robbers who are terrorising residents in Changamwe and Jomvu constituencies.
Changamwe police boss Joseph Muthee said the robbers are using suspected stolen vehicles and master keys to break into posh houses and steal electronic devices.
He said the police have intensified patrols to curb crime in the area.
This is after they gunned down one robber and four others escaped after their attempts to steal from a shop in Mikindani flopped.