The National Police Service (NPS) has clarified the circumstances surrounding the alleged disappearance of Sadam Buke.
Buke went missing under unclear circumstances, leading to allegations that he had been abducted.
Reports had claimed that Buke was taken outside a hotel in Meru County on the evening of Thursday, February 6, by unknown individuals who forced him into a waiting vehicle.
He was allegedly bundled into a silver Toyota near the hotel’s parking area at around 8:18 PM.
In a clarification notice, National Police Service (NPS) Inspector General Muchiri Nyaga revealed that Sadam Buke was lawfully arrested alongside others. According to the NPS, he is suspected of being a key facilitator and coordinator of the Oromo Liberation Army in Isiolo and Marsabit counties.
"We wish to clarify that Sadam Buke is in lawful custody alongside others. He was arrested during the ongoing 'Operation Ondoa Jangili,' which is being conducted in both Marsabit and Isiolo counties. He and others are expected to be arraigned in court," the notice read in part.
The NPS has reaffirmed its commitment to upholding constitutional standards on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
His arrest comes just three days after the NPS launched the operation in response to a series of cross-border criminal activities in the region.
In a statement on Monday, February 3, the NPS announced that Operation Ondoa Jangili aims to flush out OLA criminal elements hiding within the two counties, specifically in the Sololo, Moyale, North Horr, and Merti sub-counties and the surrounding areas.
OLA is an armed opposition group active in Ethiopia's Oromia Region. The militia is said to be exploiting familial and cultural ties between the Borana people of Kenya and the Oromo of Ethiopia to infiltrate and conceal themselves within local communities.
Historically OLA has been involved in various conflicts in the region one of them being the Turbi massacre in 2005, which led to the loss of life and worsened tensions between local communities.
The operation comes in the wake of heightened tension in the North Eastern region after five chiefs were abducted by the Al Shabaab militia.
