A 62-year-old businessman who went missing on 25th December 2020 has finally been reunited with his family in Isiolo town.
Abduba Waqo reunited with his wife and family on Thursday, August 26, after being away for over eight months. They celebrated by throwing a party at their home.
His wife, who was pregnant at the time of Waqo's disappearance, was elated at the return of her husband who had mysteriously disappeared without a trace, only to return 8 months later.
“It has been so difficult for me as I was the sole breadwinner of the family when Waqo disappeared. We thought we would never see him again but we kept hoping he would return. We even fasted every Saturday. We are so happy and thankful to see him again,” celebrated Waqo's wife.
Waqo was kidnapped by unknown people on the evening of last year's Christmas day after a busy day at his butchery and food kiosk in Isiolo town, leaving behind his children and wife.
As others were celebrating Christmas, Waqo was being bundled into a Land Cruiser vehicle by his kidnappers, and would then be driven to an unknown location and locked up in a small room.
“I was planning to cross the road and pick a motorbike when the vehicle slowed down and two heavily built men grabbed me and bundled me in the vehicle. They threatened to kill me before confiscating my phone, I was so scared,” Waqo narrated.
He was driven to a small room where he was detained for eight months.
The matter was reported to Isiolo Police Station the following day, December 26, 2020, and later referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
According to Amos Waqo, his firstborn son, the businessman's phone’s signal would then be traced to Lang’ata in Nairobi County.
Waqo's abductors, who starved him for eight months, would then question him on the long-standing clashes in Isiolo and Marsabit.
“The abductors repeatedly asked me if I was aware of the Kinna and Marsabit clashes,” narrated Waqo.
Speaking to journalists at his home on Friday, August 27, Waqo told reporters that he was dropped at Maili Nane area near Meru County, about 10 kilometers from Isiolo on Wednesday at around midnight.
On arrival at his home, Waqo was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed as soon as he reached his home on Thursday and later reunited with his family in celebration of his safe return.
