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Somalia’s intelligence chief in honeymoon with cleric’s daughter in Turkey

The marriage happened as the murder case of the female spy agent is escalating in Mogadishu with PM Roble issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the NISA head.

News Keydmedia Online
5 September 2021

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's notorious intelligence chief Fahad Yasin got married in Turkey a few days ago amid tensions in Mogadishu over the alleged murder of Ikran Tahlil, Keydmedia has learned. 

Keydmedia Online has received an intelligence report confirming that Yasin is married to the daughter of Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Salad, an influential cleric and the chairman of the Council of Religious Scholars of Somalia.

A senior official within NISA who asked not to be mentioned told KON that his boss is enjoying his honeymoon at a five-star seaside resort near the Turkish city Antalya under heavy protection.

The wedding was held in a high-security venue in Turkey, with no pictures or videos captured, and the guests were not even allowed to enter with their cell phones, added the source.

So far, KON could not immediately verify that Fahad's new wife is the daughter of Sheikh Bashir, who is a full-time resident at the upscale Jazeera hotel and close to the Villa Somalia.

However, the source added that Sheikh Bashir was busy in the past few days on a mission to defuse the tension and trying to persuade Roble not to remove Fahad as NISA chief.

Fahad's secret marriage comes as the government is under pressure and condemnations over NISA's announcement on Thursday night that Ikran Tahlil was killed by the Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab has strongly denied the NISA allegations, saying it was shocked by the 'scapegoat' claims that Fahad Yasin aimed to cover up the "kill and hide" assassination of Ikran Tahil.

Fahad, who is known for the assassinations, is the main suspect in Ikran's killing since she had sensitive information about thousands of Somali youths sent to Eritrea 2019-2020 who never returned and the bombing that killed the mayor of Mogadishu in mid-2019.

Ikran who was serving with NISA as its cybersecurity expert was called to Mogadishu by Fahad and his deputy Kulane Jiis, luring her a well-paid job, according to her mother Qali Mohamud who believes that her daughter is still alive and kept in a secret location.

Tahlil, 24, has joined NISA in 2017 after being recruited by Sanbalolshe, who said the girl could only be targeted for the sensitive information she had from the spy agency's top leadership. 

On Saturday, Somali prime minister Mohamed Hussein Roble said the NISA report on Ikran's death is "unsatisfactory with enough evidence" or answers to public questions on this case.

The PM gave Yasin a two-day ultimatum to bring a comprehensive report, adding that the victim will get justice as he will make a decision without mention what will be the measures. 

KEYDMEDIA English