Goobjoog journalist released from Jowhar police station

Goobjoog FM journalist in Middle Shebelle Aadan Hussein Da’ud and another journalist Abdishakur Abdullahi Aadan, the director for Radio Asal were released from prison late last night after being detained for some hours.

The two were arrested yesterday while covering a violent protest by residents over the killing of a local man by a government soldier who then escaped from justice.

Our reporter Adan has told Goobjoog News that is was unusual to release someone from prison at 2am “We told them that it was suspicious to release us at that hour of the night but they guaranteed us safe return to our homes,” said the journalist who was freed after Middle Shabelle Governor Ali Hussein Gudlawe phoned the police station.

“They just pounced on us yesterday when we were on our normal duty to cover the protest in the town. The police commander told us that they were acting on the orders of the governor,” added Adan.

Violent Protests

Jowhar town was engulfed Saturday by a violent protest staged by sections of communities there after a government soldier shot dead a resident three days ago and then fled. They accused the government administration of not taking action against the perpetrator.

Jowhar police used live ammunition to disperse the enraged crowds who forced the main market to close business.

Some 37 men and 60 women among the protesters were arrested and 8 underage youths were released from the police station to their guardians.

Authorities had to enforce a night curfew on Saturday night to contain the situation.

According to our reporter in Jowhar, the deceased man was trying to convince the soldier to let go an old man with a goat who he was demanding money from. But the furious soldier opened fire on the man, whose name we are yet to establish, but was said to be a local van driver. The man died on the spot.

The soldier has since run away and police have detained his wife and children to trap him to surrender so that he can face justice.

Somali National Army has almost zero tolerance on soldiers’ brutality and the martial court has executed several officers found to have killed ordinary people.

Goobjoog News